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Filmmaker Spike Lee is bringing a new celebration of Brooklyn film and culture to the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) this November, with Questlove, Bryan Stevenson and John Turturro joining him as guest curators.
Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party will take place November 6–7, featuring repertory film screenings, conversations, live music and a free street party outside BAM. Lee is hosting the inaugural two-day festival, created by Clara Wu Tsai and filmmaker and producer Nicholas Ma.
The festival opens November 6 with a screening of Lee’s 1994 film Crooklyn, a semi-autobiographical portrait of a Brooklyn family. The screening will be followed by a conversation with cast members Alfre Woodard, Zelda Harris, Cinqué Lee and Joie Lee. Lee and the guest curators will also take part in a celebratory procession into BAM before the screening.
Questlove, the Roots co-founder and filmmaker, has selected Denis Sanders’ 1971 concert documentary Soul to Soul and Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy. Civil rights lawyer and Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson selected Salaam Bombay! and City of God, while filmmaker John Turturro chose The Battle of Algiers and Divorce Italian Style.
The curators will participate in conversations surrounding their selections, discussing the films’ influence on their lives and creative work. Director Mira Nair will also join Stevenson for a conversation following Salaam Bombay!.
On November 7, Playback and The Soapbox Presents will host a free street party on Lafayette Avenue outside BAM Rose Cinemas. The event will feature Brooklyn DJs, Bring Your Own Vinyl, artist Katie Merz, games, food and drinks, and other community activities.
The festival reflects Lee’s longstanding connection to Brooklyn and his interest in using film and popular culture to celebrate the borough’s creative identity. BAM describes Playback as a celebration of the artists, storytellers, and communities that have helped make Brooklyn an influential cultural center.
Tickets went on sale to BAM members September 29 and to the general public October 1. Organizers said additional programming and guest details are expected to be announced.
English (US) ·