ESPN to premiere a documentary film "Venus Vs"

ESPN Films and espnW will premiere the documentary Venus Vs., directed by Ava DuVernay, as the first film in the upcoming Nine for IX series.  Venus Vs. highlights Venus Williams’ work that changed the course of women’s tennis.  In a stunning case that drew increasing attention and debate, Williams challenged the long-held practice of paying women tennis players less money than their male counterparts at Wimbledon.

With a deep sense of obligation to the legacy of Billie Jean King, Williams lobbied British Parliament, UNESCO and Fleet Street for financial parity.  The boys clubs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon finally relented in 2007 and during that same year Venus became the first women’s champion at Wimbledon to earn as much as the men’s champion, Roger Federer.

Winner of the “Best Director Award” at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for her second feature film Middle of Nowhere, Ava DuVernay is a writer, producer, director and distributor of independent film based in Los Angeles.