Way back in December, our Uniquely Milwaukee podcast shared the story of Eder Flag — a company located in Oak Creek that makes 5 million American flags every year. At the time, directors Sharon Liese and Cynthia Wade were about to premiere their National Geographic documentary The Flagmakers, which shined a light on the immigrants, refugees and locals who work there.
The project, which debuted on Disney+, resonated with a lot of people — including the folks who honored it as Outstanding Short Documentary earlier this week at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards in New York.
This isn’t the first hardware earned by the documentary, which also took home Best Documentary Short at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival and the audience award at the Denver International Film Festival. It was also nominated for Best Documentary Short by the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards and made the Academy Awards shortlist for Best Documentary Short Film.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo — who has his own Disney+ vehicle — joined the project as an executive producer, telling Deadline in a statement: “As an immigrant myself, I find this film incredibly personal and a deeply moving testament to those who call this country ‘home.’ … Each one of these inspiring individuals have overcome adversity and challenges in their lives and bring those unique experiences and stories as they craft the American flag.”
To stream the newly christened Emmy winner, find it here on Disney+.
