Just a reminder… if you're wondering where I'll be for part of this afternoon, this is it đ
Nice! You know I’ll be there! It’s only fitting that Nelson George is delivering the keynote address for this; if you recall my conversation with him several weeks ago on the S&A Livecast, we talked very specifically (as he certainly seemed very passionate and chock-full of interesting tidbits) about this “golden era” of black cinema in the USA – a “movement” we could say that Nelson was very much a part of.
This Saturday, November 12th, the Museum Of The Moving Image here in NYC, in collaboration with the Black Filmmaker Foundation, is hosting an event they are calling We Gotta Have It: The 20th Anniversary of the New Wave of Black Cinema.
The story goes…
In 1991, The New York Times Magazine ran a cover story about the unprecedented number of black films released by Hollywood. Produced both inside and outside the studio system, these films heralded the arrival of a new generation of filmmakers, including Spike Lee, John Singleton, Mario Van Peebles, Robert Townsend, the Hudlin brothers, and Matty Rich. The films released that year, including Boyz n the Hood, New Jack City, Jungle Fever, and Straight out of Brooklyn, sparked a cultural explosion that still reverberates. Author and film critic Nelson George will open the event with a keynote address including clips from key films of the era, followed by live interviews, onstage and via Skype, with major filmmakers from the period. The program will conclude with a town hall discussion, organized with the assistance of Sheril D. Antonio, Associate Dean at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and led by its faculty members. The discussion will focus on the trajectory of black cinema over the past twenty years, its impact on American culture, and its future direction.
The program starts at 3PM; tickets are $15 (free for Museum members). More details and purchase options online (HERE); or call 718 777 6800 to reserve tickets.