Black History Month is often a time for big names and headline moments—but some of the most powerful chapters in American history were written by people whose stories never made it into the spotlight. This February, a new documentary aims to change that.

Vision Films has announced the North American transactional VOD release of Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II, arriving February 3, 2026 across major streaming and cable platforms in the U.S. and Canada. The film is directed, written, and executive produced by Gregory S. Cooke, with executive producers Ethel “Becky” Cooke and Basil Spalding Jones, and associate producer Joyce Licorish.

At the center of the documentary: the 600,000 African American women who served on the home front—many as “Rosie the Riveters”—while fighting a second battle against racism and sexism at home.

A WWII story we rarely hear—told by the women who lived it

Invisible Warriors is built around first-person accounts and rare archival footage, giving audiences a direct line to the voices of women who stepped into factories, shipyards, and government offices at a time when opportunity was heavily gated by both race and gender.

These were not symbolic roles. These women helped power the war effort, kept industries moving, and proved—daily, publicly, and under pressure—that they belonged in spaces America had never intended to share with them.

The documentary frames their contributions as more than wartime necessity. It positions them as trailblazers whose work helped reshape what was possible for generations of Black women in industry, civil service, and beyond—opening doors that had been locked for decades.

Why this release hits differently in 2026

Vision Films Managing Director/CEO Lise Romanoff calls the documentary “an important” tribute that keeps alive the legacy of women who joined the war effort “despite racial, gender and societal obstacles,” adding that it celebrates heroines who paved the way for working women—and for those still fighting for racial and gender equality today.

Cooke, an educator and historian, puts it even more plainly—and personally. He describes these women as “arguably… the most significant group of Black women in the 20th Century,” noting that his own mother was also a Rosie. In his view, their story isn’t optional history—it’s foundational.

A film with a classroom mission baked in

This isn’t just a documentary release—it’s part of a larger educational push. Cooke’s nonprofit, The Basil and Becky Educational Foundation (BBEEF), has developed companion Social Studies and STEAM curricula tied to the film, targeting grades 8–12. The goal: move African American experiences from the margins to “the main pages” of history, and make that history relevant to students now.

That educational angle feels especially aligned with the film’s purpose: not simply to honor the past, but to make sure it’s taught accurately, widely, and with the context it deserves.

International recognition—and a long list of supporters

The film was originally co-sponsored by the Dutch government, which sought to honor African American women for their role in the WWII liberation of the Netherlands. Additional support came from organizations and foundations including Drexel Alumni, Better Angels/Lavine Fellowship, Gift of Life Donor Program, Always Best Care Senior Services, Darryl & Leslye Fraser Foundation, and CARIE: Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly.

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That range of backing signals something important: this story resonates far beyond a single community or a single country. It’s a missing piece of WWII history—period.

Where to watch (and where to start)

Pre-orders are already live on:

• iTunes/Apple TV: https://bit.ly/4pJ6fXN
• Fandango at Home: https://bit.ly/4qUj0zU

For updates and more info, visit: https://invisiblewarriorsfilm.com
About BBEEF: https://bbeef.org
About Vision Films: https://www.visionfilms.net

The takeaway

Invisible Warriors isn’t positioned as a niche WWII documentary—it’s positioned as a correction. A long-overdue recognition of women who helped win a global war while being denied full equality at home, and who still showed up anyway.

If Black History Month is about remembering, this film is about restoring.

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Sources: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vision-films-brings-invisible-warriors-african-american-women-in-world-war-ii-documentary-to-audiences-for-black-history-month-302666270.html

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LOS ANGELES — EBONY Media Group has launched EBONY Voices, a new multimedia series focused on human-interest stories aimed at connecting and uplifting communities. The debut release is a short film, “Standing in the Ashes: One Year After the Altadena Fires,” marking one year since the Eaton wildfire devastated parts of Los Angeles County in January 2024.

Film details

“Standing in the Ashes” is directed by Lyric Perez and produced by EBONY Media Owner and CEO Eden Bridgeman Sklenar and EVP of Editorial Content Cori Murray.

The film follows three long-time Altadena families as they navigate loss, rebuilding, and whether to remain in a historically Black community disproportionately impacted by the disaster:

• Staci and Thomas Andrews
• Ronda Carson and her mother, Barbara Carson
• Antoinette “Toni” Bailey-Raines, a community leader recognized as a 2025 EBONY Power 100 Community Crusader

Bailey-Raines co-hosts Altadena Talks, a grassroots radio show and podcast launched in response to the fires.

What EBONY is saying

“Standing in the Ashes reflects what EBONY Voices was created to do—center humanity, honor legacy, and ensure our communities are not reduced to statistics in moments of crisis,” Bridgeman Sklenar said in the release. “These families remind us that rebuilding is not just about homes, but about protecting history, culture, and the right to remain rooted where generations before them built a future.”

Impact of the Eaton wildfire

According to the release, the Eaton wildfire:

• Claimed 19 lives
• Destroyed or damaged 9,418 homes and buildings

The release also cites a UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies data study indicating disproportionate impacts in Altadena:

• At least 60% of affected homes were Black households
• 61% of Black households were within the fire perimeter (vs. 50% of non-Black households)
• Nearly half of Black households experienced destruction or major damage
• A majority of Black homeowners in the area are over age 65

Where to watch

“Standing in the Ashes: One Year After the Altadena Fires” is available now as part of EBONY Voices:

• https://www.ebony.com/ebony-voices-remembering-altadena/

About EBONY

For 80 years, EBONY has chronicled the Black American experience and has expanded into a multimedia brand spanning EBONY, EBONY Studios, and JET, with a stated mission to Move Black Forward.

Sources: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ebony-media-debuts-ebony-voices-with-short-film-standing-in-the-ashes-marking-one-year-since-altadena-fires-302656624.html , https://www.ebony.com/ebony-voices-remembering-altadena/

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The company announced a North American transactional VOD release for A Murder Between Friends on Jan. 13, 2026, via a deal with Scott J. Jones and Artist View Entertainment. The “murder-com” feature stars — and is produced by — Dame Joan Collins (Dynasty), with Mark Rozzano writing and producing and Jacob Young and Trent Garrett co-directing.

The film was shot on location at Úsobí Castle in the Czech Republic and leans into classic country-estate mystery energy: six friends on vacation, one of them murdered, and everyone suddenly a suspect.

Synopsis (official): When six friends vacation at the country estate of a legendary true-crime TV star (Collins), the last thing they expect is to find one of their own murdered. Everyone is a suspect as they try to determine who among them would have the means, motive, and opportunity. As tensions grow, they enlist the aid of their celebrity sleuth hostess to uncover the truth before the killer can strike again.

The cast includes Nadia Bjorlin, Jacob Young, Trent Garrett, Toby-Alexander Smith, Simon Cotton, India Thain, Hana Vagnerová, Jim Borstelmann, and internet personality Espen Hatleskog (IG’s @pilotviking).

Vision Films CEO Lise Romanoff called it a twist-heavy mystery that keeps flipping expectations, with Collins bringing “authenticity and humor for a suspense-filled ride.”

Trailer: https://youtu.be/eUdW9Jt_rxw

Where to watch: A Murder Between Friends will be available on most major streaming and cable platforms across the U.S. and Canada on Jan. 13, 2026. Pre-orders are live on iTunes/Apple TV (US, CA) and Vudu/Fandango at Home (US).

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