Wu Tsai and Ma Launch Brooklyn Film Festival With Seven Classics
The two-day event at Brooklyn Academy of Music featured screenings of seven curated films, street performances on Lafayette Street, and cast reunions.
By Amit Chukwu ·
Hundreds of attendees gathered at Brooklyn Academy of Music on November 6 and 7 for the first Playback Watch Party. The event was organized by director Nicholas Ma and businesswoman Clara Wu Tsai. Spike Lee served as the host for the inaugural weekend.
Wu Tsai stated that the founders aimed to capture the energy and creativity of the borough. She expressed a desire for participants to feel pride in their local culture. The festival focused on showcasing established cinema rather than current theatrical releases.
The seven-film lineup included Crooklyn, The Battle of Algiers, City of God, and The King of Comedy. Other selections were Soul to Soul, Divorce ItalianStyle, Salaam Bombay!, and Love & Basketball. Actor John Turturro, musician Questlove, and author Bryan Stevenson curated this year's program.
Friday programming began in the Howard Gilman Opera House with a performance by the Brooklyn United drum line. A gospel choir also performed a surprise set. Lee joined Ma, Wu Tsai, and Ellie the Elephant to introduce Crooklyn. A cast reunion followed the screening, featuring several members of the Lee family who co-wrote and produced the film.
Actor Delroy Lindo disclosed on stage that he studied for his role by spending time with Lee's family in rural Alabama. Lee learned this detail in front of the audience. Outside the venue, Lafayette Street hosted dancers, rollerbladers, and musicians throughout Saturday.
Inside the theater, curators led post-screening discussions. Questlove spoke with comedian Wyatt Cenac about the parallels between Kanye West and the character Richard Pupkin in The King of Comedy. Director Mira Nair and Stevenson discussed stories involving children on the margins of society.
Stevenson noted that audiences engage differently with these narratives each time they view them. He described this repeated engagement as the power of great art. Ma emphasized that the festival represented the entire borough. He stated that the event was not limited to specific neighborhoods like Fort Greene or East New York, but included all areas of Brooklyn.
