The Oscar Goes to … Amex?

Celebrating the American small-business owner has heretofore been the job of two groups: Republican politicians and small-business owners. American Express has now joined them, choosing as its gift not extra membership rewards points or cash back, but documentaries.

Its three 20-minute films, made by successful directors, are heartwarming stories about downtrodden entrepreneurs that make the viewer want to spend money at mom-and-pops. Released on Vimeo, YouTube, and on-demand on cable, they were funded by Amex, which brought the idea to Tribeca Digital Studios, the year-old filmmaking arm of the Tribeca Film Festival. Last year, Tribeca released its first documentary—We Could Be King, about an inner-city high football team—and it won an Emmy. No one cared it was sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods.