Filmmaking / Directing : Let's Celebrate Black History Month! Who Are YOUR Favorite Black Filmmakers? by Karen "Kay" Ross

Karen "Kay" Ross

Let's Celebrate Black History Month! Who Are YOUR Favorite Black Filmmakers?

SHARE BELOW! Not sure you have a favorite? I challenge you to explore THREE NEW (to you) black directors and weigh in with fresh eyes! BONUS: If you can share any information on current up-and-coming filmmakers - maybe a few here on Stage 32? For example, one of the winners of the Stage 32 Short Film Contest, Will Niava (https://www.instagram.com/freewillniava/), who captured my attention with his amazing short film, "Zoo". Support up-and-coming Black filmmakers with a shout-out below!

Here's a little reflection on my favorite (for now): Spike Lee.

First, allow me to say that this opinion was not formed overnight. I'm not sure I could say he was my favorite Black director before film school, but I can't say I knew many directors by name before film school. By the end of film school, however, I definitely knew his name, and I'm so SO grateful he was still making films after I graduated - and he's STILL taking me to school with his work!

Second, when you know the craft - how to work with actors, how camera language expresses a theme, even color choices, pacing, music, etc. - even if you don't agree with the message or theme, you can still respect the execution. Now, I happen to feel Spike Lee's messages are universal, but I say this to invite constructive notes on WHY you love your nominated Black filmmaker.

Finally, I had the privilege of teaching IB Film, which is a form of International Film Theory for teenagers. It was incredibly hard to allow my students, most of whom were youths of color, to watch something as important and horrifying as "Birth of a Nation". I knew I could make it worth the scarring, however, because Spike Lee's films were there to show that the art of film had become a tool to change the narrative. It was so inspiring to see so many of my students claim "Do The Right Thing" as their new favorite film by the end of their tenure.

So... why is Spike Lee my favorite? Because he knows he's trying to get his audience to feel something. Not see something, not understand something, not learn something - feel something. So, he crafts an experience leading to a very important moment (usually the Climax of the film) that makes you absolutely _feel_ something, good or bad. And hearing about his process, it's clear that part of what he's good at is giving his team a chance to step up and come up with ways to engage their audience. Btw, did you know that the composer that worked with him on "Inside Man", Terrance Blanchard, taught a webinar here on Stage 32? O.O SO FRICKIN' COOL!

Here it is, just in case you were interested: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Film-Composing-Master-Class-with-Terenc...

Looking forward to hearing about your favorite Black filmmakers!

Billy Kwack

Antoine Fuqua

Tasha Lewis

See my Stage 32 Wall for posts related to this.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

Here is my personal tribute to Nichelle Nichols, on the Independent Producers Guild website. We are doing several spotlights this month for Black History Month.

https://independentproducersguild.org/Nichelle-Nichols-Black-History-Month

Tasha Lewis

She and my mom grew up together.

Debbie Croysdale

I'm a fan of Spike Lee and also the way he mines ever deeper to unplumb hidden visceral layer to his characters. In early comedy School Days he caused conflict in "real life" to make on screen more organic. Actors were split, one group stayed in a cheap motel and other group an expensive hotel, please note I do not advocate fighting but there was no direction given on set to do so cos the animosity was already seeded over breakfast . Malcolm X a serious film one is one of my favorites from him.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

Debbie Croysdale Malcolm X is my hands-down favorite biopic - and Spike Lee's best work IMO. He's among my top ten directors. Regarding the different treatment of cast on School Daze, I'm going to opine that that story is a bit of directorial mystique-building by industry insider John Pearson (continued by Spike) who I believe arranged finishing funds for the film, as well as getting Spike jury attention at prestigious festivals. He worked with Spike since She's Gotta Have It. In fact, my understanding is that the budget for School Daze was so low that motels were nearly out of reach at all, so great places to stay were not going to happen. As a directorial device, this is not a recommended procedure, unless the actors are in on it from the beginning in a sort of method-acting kind of experience. Which, given the budget constraint, may have been a great way to make the situation work for everyone and make the actors feel they weren't actually being abused. But I certainly don't believe it was planned from the beginning as a genius directorial idea, because frankly, it's not genius; it's counter-productive in most situations and I doubt Spike would think otherwise.

Dan MaxXx

"New Jack City" is the greatest cop movie I've ever seen as a kid, directed by Mario V Pebbles... I remember filmmaker Matty Rich, who flamed out... Karyn Kusama's GIRLFIGHT is amazing, introduced Michelle Rodriguez to the world... and Spike Lee! Dude is a self-made filmmaker legend here in Brooklyn NY, and the number 1 fan of the NY Knicks basketball. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times and he is as down to earth/straight up as you will ever meet. He was planning to do a Joe Louis biopic boxing film with another New Yorker, Budd Schulberg, but Time/Life was against them... Anyways, everyone locally knows Spike was robbed twice by Oscar members, Do the Right Thing & Malcolm X.

Paul Ross

Definitely Spike Lee. He Got Game, is my favorite.

Elaine Haygood

Spike Lee definitely knows how to craft a film. He's also something of a serious mysoginist-Am I the only one old enough to remember his remarks that if Black women wanted movies that told OUR stories in a positive light, we'd have to make those movies ourselves because he wasn't interested?

Anyhoo, Daughters of The Dust by Julie Dash is an all-time personal favorite. Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur was exceptionally anachronistic, but lots of fun. And Ryan Coogler gave us a Black Panther that brought tears to the eyes of Blerds the world over.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

@Elaine Haygood - yes, Spike Lee is a special kind of misogynist; in fact a special kind of viewpoint on lots of things, which is why he is in my top 10 directors but not actually among my top 10 favorite directors. I have to be in a certain frame of mind to watch his films, well constructed though they are.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

@Rohit Kumar, I am not really sure what your point is here. Black History Month is an important event, especially in the American context. I am from Canada, which portrays itself as a "multicultural" place and some people believe it. But growing up - it's very racist and very aware of ethnicity.

Karen "Kay" Ross

Wow, @Elaine I never knew that! I feel like I've learned so much!

Tasha Lewis

Based on my 16 years experience working with and teaching children 2 and up, kids don’t know what color is until they are taught these differences. Their home environment is the first place of learning; then from there whatever environments that cultivate and shape their learning experiences. If we teach young people to love one another from the womb on and appreciate each individual and their differences, then there would be no racism. I have done the research and lived it with my over 4000 students (500 annually).

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

@Rohit Kumar - I follow your posts a lot and find you generally very insightful. So please take this as honest and not as intended offense. If I didn't think you are intelligent and well-meaning, I would not respond to you at all. Your points are out of place on this thread, IMO. You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about here, and you seem defensive and even threatened by the fact that people here celebrate Black History Month. Perhaps you don't mean to convey that, but you are doing so. Black History Month originated in the US for a reason. Black history and culture here is American history and if you haven't lived here for quite a while, you really shouldn't be making statements on American culture to Americans. Consider jazz - it could not have originated anywhere else in the world, and is a profound amalgam of black and white artistic, musical and cultural experiences, expressed in music. The world still loves jazz, but it is an American art form and if you don't understand the black experience in America, you cannot understand jazz. Period. I say that as a jazz & classical musician. We talk about Spike Lee above, and I am sure he would agree with me, his family being as it is from a prominent jazz tradition - it informs much of his work as a film maker. Black History Month here has nothing to do with "political correctness" or with promoting division. Quite the opposite. You seem to have the supposition that celebrating and learning about one group in society is a bad thing. It is not. Are you jealous? It's a fair question in the context. Go ahead have a Red Indian Day, it's certainly not going to hurt anyone and maybe there is something valuable in it. I don't know your experience in India and am not going to try to tell you about it. I will tell you that growing up and educating in Canada, in poli-sci & law school, I had numerous very close friends from India, some of whom I still keep in touch with. Sikhs, Muslims & Hindus. To a person, they all confided about deep divisions in Indian society based on caste, territory, religion and yes, even color, and some of those divisions were apparent to everyone in their interactions with each other and their informally segregated communities in Vancouver. So... whatever. I don't know what that means to you or anyone but the Indian experience has nothing to do with Black History Month, and I don't mean that in any insulting way.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

@K. S. Pagano. I know it does in Australia, ,right? What's your point?

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

@K.S. Pagano - As I said, what's your point?? I don't see what this has to do with exploring Black filmmakers or Black History Month.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

@K. S. Pagano so the fact that there are people who are interested in BLACK film makers makes you feel threatened to the point that you have to accuse people you don't know and never met as being racist. But that's your problem, not mine. On the other hand, your ideas might make a good video polemic. I would encourage you to explore a script on the subject and maybe post it in the writers forums and maybe you will find someone interested your assertions on race and racism. Because this thread has to do with Black filmmakers and Black History Month.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

@K.S. Pagano @Rohit Kumar seems always to be a thoughtful, compassionate and usually intellectually rigorous person. Yes, he's talking about culture and he will understand that. However, you frankly come off as his opposite. It's pretty obvious to anyone that you feel threatened. I am not implying it, I am asserting it as a confirmed fact - you wouldn't try to disrupt a thread on "your favorite Black filmmakers" with commentary designed to insult black people and people who want to talk about black filmmakers otherwise. It's obvious that you have an issue with black people specifically and denials just don't hold water given your words have been intentionally insulting to blacks. You clearly implied blacks are racist as a group, if you don't see it, go ahead re-read your post(s). I am aware that I implied YOU are a racist, but I don't see that you represent a whole country or even a group of people. it's just you and your attitude I am referring to. So if you took it any other way, you are now corrected.

So far as Jordan Peele - his feature film work sucks and is amateurish at best, IMO. Kinda the opposite of Spike Lee among Black filmmakers, in more ways than one. On the other hand, regarding capitalism, making money is the point to the entire film industry and so long as Peele's work sells we're all going to be treated to more of it (ugh).

As far as how you feel about me personally, it wouldn't cross my mind to care, so don't worry. I don't feel anything about you at all.

Debbie Croysdale

@Tasha I agree that from an age young children both listen to and understand words spoken by those in their immediate environment they can be swayed to adhere to any bigotry imagining the particular attitudes present to be the acceptable norm in wider society. @All Spike Lee is a favourite albeit controversial in pushing boundaries. In his 80’s film School Days he put half the actors in a cheap motel but other half in a top quality hotel, the animosity was so organic a fight broke out for real on set but they kept cameras rolling. Not advocating violence here because there was absolutely no verbal direction given for the action. Social experiment either went right or wrong depending on ones personal view.

Martin Reese

I would say Jordan Peele, Spike Lee, and Ryan Coogler. Jordan Peele because he does genre films which I love (actually he's doing what I want to do. Heck dude hosted Twilight Zone). Spike Lee because he does movies with a message (I still quote SCHOOL DAZE), and Ryan Coogler (BLACK PANTHER and CREED). Great job of showing strong, Black male characters.

Tasha Lewis

Debbie Croysdale Thank you for your comments. As far as what transpired during the location shoot of Spike Lee’s movie, negotiating a group rate with higher quality suites for A and B list talent may have been a better route. Based on my experience working with a top hotel chain in undergrad If they booked up most of the hotel or an entire floor.

Rae Dawn

Spike Lee and Ava Duvernay

Debbie Croysdale

@Tasha thanks for your comments too, I think the reason for different digs was not because they were A list or B list but in screenplay were opposing teams Jigerboos and Wannabes. @Shadow thanks for your input on School Daze, it makes one think if some internet stories maybe merely collections of Chinese whispers, not a racist remark but a kids party game here whereby a circle of people whisper a message in ear of person next to them resulting in end speech nothing like original. I got that snippet of info on School Daze from Masterclass but maybe Spike's inner circle has an alternate version. A lot of the time with projects the Rashomon effect kicks in whereby all concerned in the making of a film all remember the daily events in a very different way.

Karen "Kay" Ross

Ooo, M LaVoie - I'm in love with "Dear White People" the show, but have actually never seen the film! Putting it on my list to see! Thank you for the suggestions!

Great list Martin Reese - Ryan Coogler is definitely a contender, pun intended LOL! Yeah, "Creed" was a great film and I'm so glad he made it happen to show that he could take the lead on "Black Panther". Did you see the update on the upcoming BP film? https://www.imdb.com/video/vi3104293657?ref_=hm_hp_i_2&listId=ls025720609

I'm also keeping a watchful eye on Matthew A. Cherry who did a phenomenal job with the "Hair Love" short film, and I believe it's being made into a show with HBO - Young Love: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12681586/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1

Debbie Croysdale

@Martin Yes Ryan Coogler is another favourite contender. I saw him 2014 Sundance when he won an award for Fruitvale Station and kept the signed poster. The seed was sown and all his films since rock.

Maurice Vaughan

Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, and Spike Lee. Also Allen Hughes/Albert Hughes and F. Gary Gray.

Karen "Kay" Ross

Just a reminder from your friendly Stage 32 Community Manager - Stage 32 is a community that focuses on improving our craft and business for film, television, and digital media. You are certainly welcome to continue commenting in that context, but if you wish to debate about the existence of racism or other existential questions, please take those conversations to other social media platforms.

I think if we wanted to continue a constructive conversation about why it's important to celebrate Black Filmmakers, that would be acceptable, though.

Thank you all for sharing and staying constructive!

Alana de Freitas

Regina King kills it!

Matthew Cornwell

Jordan Peele all the way for me. Donald Glover is up there, too. Both possess such a unique writing ability that blends genre in a way that is so thought-provoking. The Teddy Perkins episode of Atlanta is a masterpiece, and just about every season of Key & Peele was a masterclass on sketch writing, acting, and directing. Get Out was amazing as well.

As an actor, I would feel incredibly honored to work under either one of these gentlemen.

MB Stevens

Hey, Karen "Kay" Ross . Kenya Barris is the man.

Hunter Huiet

Denzel Washington

Maurice Vaughan

Denzel Washington is my favorite actor, Hunter.

Gen Vardo

Jordan Peel is right where I want to be. He's out there like I am and he's doing so frickin well with it.

Angela Cristantello

Spike Lee.

Barry Jenkins.

Ryan Coogler.

JORDAN FREAKING PEELE.

Scott Sawitz

Steve McQueen

Gen Vardo

John Singleton | Spike Lee | Jordan Peel | Antoine Fuqua, Training day is out of sight.

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