We Speak Events

SPIKE LEE TO SPEAK AT UAPB FEBRUARY 6

Published

7 years ago

January 20, 2018

umeektv

Oscar award winning Director Spike Lee will be the featured speaker during the annual black history month assembly at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The free, public event will be held Tuesday, February 6 at 10:30 a.m. in the Kenneth L. Johnson, Sr. HPER Complex.

In addition to being an award-winning director, Lee is also a, Writer, Actor, Producer, Author, and NYU Grad Film Tenured Professor whose body of work has continued to grow over the last three decades. Lee co-wrote his latest film Chi-Raq with Kevin Willmott based on the Greek comedy Lysistrata by Aristophanes. He has directed and produced over 30 films since his first feature film, the independently produced She’s Gotta Have It which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986 and received the esteemed Prix de la Jeunesse Award. Lee continues to produce Cinematic works of Art that display his skill and ability to showcase outspoken and provocative socio-political critiques that challenge cultural assumptions, about Race, Class and Gender identity. His film, Do the Right Thing, released in 1989, earned Lee an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and remains still relevant today.

Lee has also produced several documentaries, including the Academy Award nominated 4 Little Girls and the Peabody and Emmy Award winning films When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts and If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise, all with HBO. In addition to his Michael Jackson trilogy of Documentary, BAD 25, original ‘off the wall’ and the upcoming widely anticipated trailer. In addition to his prolific film career, Lee has directed and produced numerous music videos and his commercial work began in 1988 with his Nike Air Jordan campaign. Ever moving into new areas, Lee combined his extensive creative experience into yet another venture with DDB Needham to create Spike/DDB, a full-service advertising agency. Lee has also authored several books, including Five For Five, a pictorial

reflection of his first five features, Best Seat in the House, with Ralph Wiley, and two children’s books Please, Baby, Please and Please, Puppy, Please, co-authored with Tonya Lewis Lee, his wife.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Brooklyn, Lee returned south to attend Morehouse College. After graduation, he returned to New York City to continue his education at NYU/Tisch, where he received his MFA in Film Production. After graduation, he founded 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, based in Brooklyn. He began teaching a course on filmmaking at Harvard in 1991 and in 1993 he started on the Faculty at NYU/Tisch in the Graduate Film Program where he was appointed Artistic Director in 2002, a position which he still holds.

We Speak Events

The Feature Presentation Presents: 40 ACRES

Published

5 days ago

June 19, 2025

Adavie Gutierrez

In honor of Juneteenth, The Feature Presentation, DJ Suss One and Magnolia Productions are presenting a VIP screening of 40 ACRES. Taking place at the Regal Union Square Theater the elite VIP guest list is sure to fill the theater with black joy, high energy, and pride, providing a beautiful aesthetic on the backdrop of what critics are saying is an amazing film.

40 ACRES, is post-apocalyptic thriller written and directed by music video veteran R.T. Thorne. Thorne who will be making his film debut, first premiered 40 Acres during the 49th Annual Toronto International Film Festival. Led by Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson”) a mother and ex-military soldier and Galen (Michael Greyeyes, “Fear The Walking Dead”), 40 ACRES, takes place in a post civil war world where a family has learned to thrive in the middle of nowhere and must protect their 40-acre farm against cannibalistic raiders.

A lifelong horror movie buff, DJ SussOne has transformed his passion for film into a thriving business venture with The Feature Presentation. From an early age, SussOne was captivated by the suspense and thrill of scary movies, which inspired him to dive deeper into the entertainment world beyond music. Through The Feature Presentation, DJ Suss One collaborates with top movie theaters and major production companies to host exclusive VIP movie premieres before their official release.

At his latest highly anticipated premiere, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, I had the opportunity to sit down with DJ Suss One to discuss his lifelong love of movies and how film has influenced his journey as a DJ, radio personality, and emerging film producer. What followed was an insightful conversation about creativity, culture, and the powerful intersection of music and cinema.

DJ Suss One sits down with Adavie Gutierrez at the private screening off Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning at the IPIC Theatre. We talk about his love for Horror films and how being a thriller buff have impacted him as a person, DJ, and aspiring film producer and director.

DJ Suss One talking to a reporter.
DJ Suss One taking a photo with special guest Jay Wonder
Journalist and Anchor Jazmyn Summers and special guest.
Publicist and Event Curator Amber Lee with Viral Social Media Influencer Daniel Jean.
DJ Suss One taking pictures with We Speak Media Journalist Adavie Gutierrez and special guest.
DJ Suss One addresses to his guest before the start of the movie.
Actor Jermel Howard and Guest
Snapshot of a full house.

These events are more than just screenings—they’re red-carpet experiences where celebrities, influencers, and film lovers come together to celebrate cinema in style. Blending his expertise in music, media, and film culture, DJ Suss One continues to build a unique bridge between the entertainment industries—where every premiere feels like an event, and every audience member is a VIP. 40 ACRES premieres in theaters July 2, 2025. In the spirit of Juneteenth let’s keep celabrating and showing up by supporting black creatives and making this a hit at the box office.