Bessie (film)

*Bessie*
Bessie
	Promotional poster
Genre	Biographical
Screenplay by	Dee Rees; Christopher Cleveland; Bettina Gilois;
Story by	Dee Rees; Horton Foote;
Directed by	Dee Rees
Starring	Queen Latifah; Michael Kenneth Williams; Khandi Alexander; Mike Epps; Tory Kittles; Tika Sumpter; Oliver Platt; Bryan Greenberg; Charles S. Dutton; Mo'Nique;
Theme music composer	Rachel Portman
Country of origin	United States
Production
Executive producers	Richard D. Zanuck; Queen Latifah; Randi Michel; Lili Fini Zanuck; Shakim Compere; Shelby Stone;
Producer	Ron Schmidt
Cinematography	Jeff Jur
Editor	Brian A. Kates
Running time	115 minutes
Production companies	HBO Films; Flavor Unit Entertainment; The Zanuck Company
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	May 16, 2015

Bessie is a 2015 HBO TV film about the American blues singer Bessie Smith, and focuses on her transformation as a struggling young singer into "The Empress of the Blues". The film is directed by Dee Rees, with a screenplay by Rees, Christopher Cleveland and Bettina Gilois. Queen Latifah stars as Bessie Smith, and supporting roles are played by Michael Kenneth Williams as Smith's first husband Jack Gee, and Mo'Nique as Ma Rainey. The film premiered on May 16, 2015. By the following year Bessie was the most watched HBO original film in the network's history. The film was well received critically and received four Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Television Movie.