Synopsis

US, 2017; 83 min.

Step chronicles the senior year of a girls’ high-school step dance team against the background of inner-city Baltimore. As each one tries to become the first in their families to attend college, the girls strive to make their dancing a success against the backdrop of social unrest in the troubled city. Called “Hoop Dreams for the social media generation” (Variety) and “emotionally involving” and “a great story of adversity, struggle and elevating achievement” (The Hollywood Reporter), Step received a Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where it was this year’s definitive crowd-pleaser. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight.

Director Bio

Amanda Lipitz is a Tony Award winning Broadway producer and documentary filmmaker. She is the director and producer of the award winning documentary STEP being released by Fox Searchlight in August 2017. She served as Executive producer and Creator of MTV’s groundbreaking series Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods. She Associate Produced 'A Broadway Celebration" for PBS as part of the White House music series. Her first foray into Broadway producing was at the age of 24 with DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, starring John Lithgow. Her other producing credits include LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL (Broadway), MODERN ORTHODOX starring Jason Biggs and Molly Ringwald THE PERFORMERS (Broadway) starring Cheyenne Jackson, Henry Winkler & Alicia Silverstone and A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE ( TONY AWARD) and the 2016 Tony Award winning best play THE HUMANS (Pulitzer Finalist). 
 

In 2008, Ms. Lipitz was named by Jewish Women International as one of their "10 Women to Watch", Ms. Lipitz graduated with a BFA in Theatre from Tisch School of the Arts and now serves on the Board of the school . She also recently became a trustee of New York University and also serves on PONY (Playwrights of New York). In addition to producing, Ms. Lipitz is responsible for some of the most innovative sponsorships on Broadway, including partnerships with Tiffany & Co., PBTeen, Maybelline, and Apple. Amanda Lipitz is known nationally for her documentary films highlighting philanthropic organizations and their impact. Ms. Lipitz has created over 30 films for organizations including Young Women's Leadership Network, CityMeals on Wheels, College Bound Initiative, The Tory Burch Foundation, Barnard College, Turnaround for Children, The Gateway School and many more. She is currently working on several projects including the original musical Brooklynite (The Vineyard,- Off Broadway) with Music and Lyrics by Peter Lerman. She lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.