Black History Month | Honoring Black Filmmakers and Entertainers

As we celebrate Black History Month, we give special recognition to Black filmmakers, directors, actors and cultural icons who have contributed so much to the entertainment industry and the world. The films and shows listed below tell the stories of real-life Black Americans and are available to watch on various streaming services. Join us in celebrating Black History Month and honoring our Black artists in the field of television and film.

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (HBO Max)

“Judas and the Black Messiah” tells the story of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, who was killed in a pre-dawn raid in December 1969. Labeling him a radical threat, the FBI recruited an informant, William O’Neal, who infiltrated the Black Panthers, gained Hampton’s trust, and then helped the FBI and local law enforcement agencies take him down. The film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this month, stars Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton and Lakeith Stanfield as O’Neal. The two previously shared the screen in 2017’s “Get Out.” Their latest effort is now playing in theaters and streaming for free with an HBO Max subscription.

Trailer: “Judas and the Black Messiah”

“One Night in Miami” (Prime Video)

“One Night in Miami,” currently streaming on Prime Video, tells an imagined account of Sam Cooke, Jim Brown, Malcolm X, and Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) gathering in Miami on February 25, 1964. The men are in town to watch Clay fight Sonny Liston for the World Heavyweight title. Following Clay’s victory, they have insightful, honest discussions about race, religion, activism, and more. Oscar-winning actress Regina King directed the drama, which is based on a stage play written by Kemp Powers. Critics and audiences are raving over the film, and it is likely to garner some Oscar nominations later this month.

Trailer: “One Night in Miami”

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)

Another critically acclaimed movie currently streaming is “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” produced by Denzel Washington and starring Oscar winner Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman (in his final film). Two-time Tony award winner George C. Wolfe (“Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” and “Bring in ‘da Noise/Bring in ‘da Funk”) directs the film, which is based on a play of the same name written by the legendary August Wilson. In the film, which is streaming on Netflix, Davis plays blues icon Gertrude “Ma” Rainey during a difficult recording session in Chicago in 1927. Boseman plays ambitious trumpet player Levee Green. Both are earning positive reviews for their performances, and the film is generating Oscar buzz.

Trailer: “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”

Closer to home for Broadway Stages, we are happy to recognize the filmmakers and actors sharing Black stories who we have been fortunate to work with over the years.

“When They See Us” (Netflix)

Ava DuVernay is the immensely talented director of the film “Selma” and the Netflix limited series “When They See Us,” which includes scenes filmed at Broadway Stages’ studios. “When They See Us,” released in 2019 and still streaming on Netflix, tells the story of the “Central Park Five,” who were imprisoned for decades for a crime they did not commit. The series won numerous accolades, including Emmys, NAACP Image Awards, and Critics’ Choice Awards.

Trailer: “When They See Us”

“Wu-Tang: An American Saga” (Hulu)

We are also proud of the success of “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” filmed at our soundstages. The series follows the Wu-Tang Clan’s formation in New York City in the early 1990s, during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic. Season two was delayed by the pandemic, but it is coming soon. All season one episodes are currently streaming on Hulu.

Actor Siddiq Saunderson (Ghostface Killah/Dennis ‘D-Love’ Coles) discusses season two:

“For Life” (ABC)

We are also happy to provide filming locations for ABC’s “For Life,” a legal drama loosely based on the true story of Isaac Wright Jr., who was sentenced to spend life in prison for a crime that he did not commit. Wright, portrayed by actor Nicholas Pinnock, studied law while behind bars and helped overturn the wrongful convictions of 20 of his fellow inmates, before proving his own innocence. The show’s second season just wrapped up, so now is a great time to binge watch the full series if you missed it.

Trailer: “For Life”

“Godfather of Harlem” (Epix)

If you’re craving even more television to watch right now, then check out “Godfather of Harlem” on Epix. The crime drama, filmed at Broadway Stages, stars Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker as 1960s New York City gangster Bumpy Johnson. The first season was nominated for several NAACP Image Awards last year, and a second season is coming in April.

Trailer: Godfather of Harlem season two

“Compassionate Release” (Up the Road Films - Halifax Black Film Festival)

Lastly, we are extremely proud of Indie film writer/director and NYC native, Lynn Dow and her short film “Compassionate Release,” which has been circulating around the film festival circuit over the past year. While the film is a work of fiction, it was inspired by the true story of Dow’s uncle, a petty criminal who spent time in prison, ironically at the former Arthur Kill Correctional Facility, where Dow visited him as a child.  Her Uncle became terminally ill while behind bars and was not given the option of a compassionate release, in which an inmate may be eligible for immediate early release on grounds of “particularly extraordinary or compelling circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen by the court at the time of sentencing.” He died a month after leaving prison. Dow was determined to set her short film in that same place in order to shine a light on compassionate release and, Broadway Stages helped to make that possible. “Not only do I want to honor my uncle’s memory, but I want to remind those in authority that empathy and humanity are the highest principles of an honorable life,” she says.

Her film can be seen next as part of the Halifax Black Film Festival, which will be held online this year due to the pandemic. The festival will run from February 23 to 28, and you can buy a ticket here to see all the films.

Trailer: “Compassionate Release”