Documentary by Austin Coming Together Wins Regional Emmy Award
“This Emmy belongs to the community of Austin, my lifelong home,” Darnell Shields said after a documentary chronicling grassroots efforts on Chicago’s West Side took home a regional Emmy Award.
The documentary, titled “The Good News,” won for “Outstanding Achievement for Branded Content — Long Form Content” at the 68th annual Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards, blockclubchicago.org reported. The ceremony took place last weekend at the Swissôtel Chicago at 323 E. Wacker Drive, hosted by the local chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Recognizing West Side Resilience
Co-produced by the local nonprofit Austin Coming Together and Chicago production company PRIME 312, the documentary highlights community leaders working to reshape the identity of the Austin neighborhood. The film also showcases the nonprofit’s initiative known as “Austin Forward. Together,” a quality-of-life plan tackling seven core issues including education, housing, youth empowerment, economic development, public safety, and public narrative.
The win recognized producers Christopher Hoerdemann and Norma Hoerdemann, alongside associate producers La’Shawna Bundy, Grace Cooper, Arewa Najm Ekua, Nyla Larry, and Ethan Ramsay. The project competed against “Southpaw North,” a documentary following a teenage boxer’s journey from Chicago’s South Side to a north suburban private school.
It took nearly a year to complete the film, though the organizing efforts behind it stretch back years. When Austin Coming Together began assembling its quality-of-life plan in 2018, residents emphasized that changing the prevailing narrative surrounding the neighborhood was a top priority.
“For far too long, our neighborhood has been defined by disinvestment and headlines that focus on these challenges. But for those of us who call Austin home, we know a different story. It’s one of community, power, strength and resilience. So that’s the story the film tells,” Shields said.
Shifting From Summits to the Screen
Austin Coming Together traditionally hosts an annual community summit, but preparing for the grand opening of the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation at 5500 W. Madison St. in June 2025 made a summer gathering difficult to manage. Organizers turned to film as an alternative way to honor the neighborhood and the organization’s ongoing work.
Attending the awards ceremony and walking away with a trophy felt surreal to leaders who started organizing the neighborhood framework years prior. Shields noted that when the initiative began in 2018, an accolade of this scale seemed entirely out of reach for community development work.
“It was kind of surreal because I’m like, wow, this is not something you get to do everyday, especially in this particular sector that we work in of community development and organizing and things like that,” Shields said.
Expanding Community Screenings
While “The Good News” is not currently available to watch online, residents and supporters can join the Austin Coming Together mailing list for updates on private screenings. Organizers are actively working to bring the film directly to neighborhoods and community groups.
Anyone interested in hosting a screening or bringing the project to their organization can contact associate producer Ethan Ramsey via email at eramsay@austincomingtogether.org. Filmmakers provide a screening toolkit and attend showings to encourage direct dialogue about local challenges and neighborhood solutions.
“We think it’s important to keep talking about the things that our community has had to contend with, and the way in which our leaders have worked together to address them and try to bring about solutions,” Shields said.