ALTHEA Documentary to Premiere on LI

The U.S. Tennis Association Long Island Region and the Gold Coast International Film Festival will host the Long Island premiere of “ALTHEA,” a documentary about the life and achievements of Althea Gibson, on Saturday, August 29 at 7:30pm (doors open at 7:00pm).

The screening -- followed by a Q&A with director Rex Miller -- will take place at Soundview Cinemas, 7 Soundview Market Place, Port Washington,

Althea Gibson’s life and achievements transcend sports. From her roots in poverty, she emerged as a most unlikely queen of the highly segregated tennis world in the 1950s, with her fame thrusting her unwillingly into the early Civil Rights movement. ALTHEA reveals rare archival material and compelling interviews with those who knew Gibson personally, such as former NYC Mayor David Dinkins, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, the widow of Arthur Ashe, and Billie Jean King (an Executive Producer of the film).

Tickets are can be purchased in advance for $15 per regular ticket or $10 per student ticket by clicking here or at the door for $20 each.

Donations to the USTA Eastern Junior Tennis Foundation will be accepted the night of the movie. The Junior Tennis Foundation was incorporated in 1979 as a non-profit organization to raise funds for junior tennis and for tennis for special populations within the Eastern Section. Over one million dollars has been given in grants to worthy programs and in scholarships to junior players since the inception of the foundation.