Lisa D'Apolito, Director of Emmy-Nominated 'Love, Gilda,' Joins Nonfictionfilm.com's Emmy Doc Roundtable Event

D'Apolito's film about late Gilda Radner scored two Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

Lisa D'Apolito, director of ‘Love, Gilda,’ from CNN Films. Photo by Jessica Miller for 3 Faces Films / CNN Films

Lisa D'Apolito, director of the Emmy-nominated film Love, Gilda about the late comedian Gilda Radner, will be joining Wednesday night's Emmy Documentary Roundtable presented by Nonfictionfilm.com.

Love, Gilda, a portrait of the beloved Saturday Night Live original cast member who succumbed to ovarian cancer in 1989, earned nominations for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and for composer Miriam Cutler's score.

She never felt pretty, she always felt not 'enough,' in that sense, from her childhood.

--Love, Gilda director Lisa D'Apolito on the late Gilda Radner

Love, Gilda, from CNN Films, held its world premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, with opening remarks that night offered by one of Radner's renowned successors on SNL.

"Tina Fey introduced it, and she gave such a lovely introduction to the film that was just very emotional for her and emotional for the audience," D'Apolito recalls. "Gilda really meant so much to these really well known comedians."

The film's broadcast debut came on CNN. CNN Films is making Love, Gilda available free to viewers On Demand from August 22-29 through cable and satellite subscribers, as well as through the app CNNgo.

D'Apolito's film traces Radner's life from her early days in Detroit to a pivotal decision to move to Toronto in her early 20s, to live with a boyfriend. It was there that Radner joined a local production of the musical Godspell in 1972 that featured Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Paul Shaffer, Victor Garber and others who would go on to fame. A stint with a National Lampoon radio show brought her to the attention of Lorne Michaels, who was putting together the show that became Saturday Night Live. 

D'Apolito gained accessed to Radner's private papers, including letters and journals, for her film.

"A lot of comedians aren't funny in real life, but through her diaries I saw that she always found a sense of hope and a sense of humor... humor was a coping mechanism for her," D'Apolito tells Nonfictionfilm.com. "It's such a great trait, to - even in the darkest of times - find that humor in it all."

You can watch the live stream of the Emmy Documentary Roundtable, happening Wednesday, August 14 at 7:30pm PT/10:30pm ET, by clicking below.