Bill Haney's Jim Allison: Breakthrough Premieres On Independent Lens Monday, April 27 On PBS And PBS.org

BOSTON, April 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chronicling the story of one warm-hearted scientist's quest to find a cure for cancer, Jim Allison: Breakthrough presents a new kind of hero–Dr. Jim Allison, who waged a decades-long struggle to bring a novel cancer treatment to patients worldwide. The latest documentary from Uncommon Productions and acclaimed filmmaker, Bill Haney, paints a richly entertaining portrait of Allison, a native of south Texas and an avid blues harmonica player, whose creativity and boundless curiosity about the immune system set him on a trail-blazing path to change the face of cancer treatment.  

For its heartfelt and accessible storytelling, Breakthrough has been praised as "the most cheering film of the year" by the Washington Post and received The Golden Owl from the Bergen International Film Festival, awarded to the best research and science documentary. The film premieres on Independent Lens Monday, April 27, 2020, 10:00-11:30 PM ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.

Bolstered by Woody Harrelson's narration and Mark Orton's score (Nebraska), Haney spotlights Allison's unique character starting with his days as a young, curious boy growing up in Texas whose life is shattered when he loses his mother to cancer. The film follows Allison as he goes to the University of Texas, Austin—where he cultivates an interest in T cells and the immune system, and begins to frequent Austin's legendary music scene. Fascinated by the immune system's power to protect the body from disease, Allison's research soon focuses on how it can be used to treat cancer.

Today immunotherapy is considered a fourth pillar of cancer treatment, but when Allison began his career it was on the fringe of mainstream scientific thinking. Allison's breakthrough discovery came in the 1990s when he discovered a way to unleash the immune system to target cancer, but it took until 2011 for the drug based on his research to receive FDA approval. The film chronicles Allison's tireless battle against widespread skepticism and resistance from the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies, as well as his recurring personal battles with cancer.

"We're delighted to champion films that celebrate the perseverance of trailblazers and world changers like Jim Allison," said Independent Lens Executive Producer Lois Vossen. "Jim Allison: Breakthrough reminds us all to keep pushing and fighting if we believe in something, despite adversity. It is a vivid reminder that the path to greatness is seldom easy, but always worthwhile."

Featuring interviews with family, Allison's colleagues and past students, immunology experts, and patients, the film paints a colorful portrait of Allison; not just of a strong-willed and passionate scientist, but a humble man, a talented musician and dedicated Willie Nelson fan who just wanted to do some good in the world. Haney expertly interweaves Allison's personal story with the medical case of Sharon Belvin, a patient diagnosed with melanoma in 2004 who soon enrolled in Allison's clinical trials. Since then, she has been entirely cancer-free.

Bill Haney (Director/Producer)
Bill is a filmmaker, inventor and entrepreneur. As a writer, director and producer of both narrative and documentary films, he has won The Gabriel Prize, a Silver Hugo, and IDA's Pare Lorentz Award. Additional awards include a Marine Conservation Award, Genesis Award and awards from Amnesty International and Earthwatch. Bill's portfolio as a filmmaker includes award-winning documentaries on socially important subjects such as coal mining (The Last Mountain, 2011) and worker exploitation (The Price of Sugar, 2007) and his work as writer/producer on Tim Disney's civil rights drama, American Violet.

Media contact: Matt Shelley-Reade, [email protected], 845-532-0262

SOURCE Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc.; Uncommon Productions