Moderated conversation with acclaimed filmmaker Boots Riley on arts and politics moderated by Kansas City film critic Lonita Cook!

PRE-SHOW: 5pm Passholder reception. 6:30pm Live performance by BLACK Lawrence featuring Alex Kimball Williams, Tai Amri Spann-Ryan, Sean Hunt, and Anthony Boynton.

This film is supported by KU Film and Media Studies

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Boots Riley is a director, activist, screenwriter, producer, poet, rapper, and speaker. His directorial debut Sorry to Bother You premiered to strong critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. By embedding messages regarding economic and class critique as well as politically progressive movement building into dystopian science fiction satire, Sorry To Bother You brought issues surrounding income inequality into wide public discussion in the United States and abroad.

Boots Riley is the founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine on guitar. A dedicated community based activist, Boots was deeply involved with the Occupy Oakland movement and was one of the leaders of the activist group The Young Comrades. He is the author of the critically acclaimed collection of essays “Tell Homeland Security-We Are the Bomb.”

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:
BLACK Lawrence (Black Literature & Arts Collective of Kansas) celebrates Black creative expression as a vehicle for artist and community growth. We strive to elevate conversations around creating Black art in the Midwest- and to showcase the diversity of Black art forms through a variety of members including poets, dancers, sci-fi novelists, playwrights, punk rockers, composers, photographers, illustrators, rappers, and more. We advocate for fair pay, inclusive spaces, and public education to foster a welcoming community for generations of Black artists to come.