2022 Tribeca Festival Announces Harry Belafonte Award Winner, Talks, Reunions And Master Class Lineups
The 2022 Tribeca Festival on Monday (May 2) announced the winner of its second annual Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award and its lineup for talks, reunions, and master class events.
This year’s festival kicks off on June 8 with the world premiere of Halftime, a Netflix documentary that follows superstar performer Jennifer Lopez. In the film, J.Lo reflects on her career. The festival closes on June 19 with the world premiere of Loudmouth, a documentary about civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton.
“We are excited to present a compelling slate of Talks, Reunions, and Master Classes from leading storytellers across film, television, music, art, and comedy,” said Paula Weinstein, Tribeca’s chief content officer. “Audiences will have the opportunity to hear from a diverse and captivating lineup of award-winning entertainers at the forefront of cultural leadership.”
Common earned this year’s Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award. Festival organizers selected Common for his use of storytelling and the arts to enact change in communities, underscoring his work in the nonprofit and entrepreneur sectors. The award ceremony is slated for June 15 at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. The New York Times columnist Charles Blow will lead a discussion with the artist and activist.
“Common, the Academy Award, Emmy, and Grammy-winning artist, actor, author, and activist, continues to break down barriers with a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles and continued success in all aspects of his career,” a Tribeca Festival statement said.
“Having starred in numerous film and television projects, Common has also worked behind the scenes as an executive producer and on multiple soundtracks for which he has received numerous accolades. Additionally, Common has dedicated countless hours and has been deeply engaged in social justice and advocacy work around mass incarceration, mental health, and voting.”
Other highlights at this year’s festival include a reunion on June 16 of cast members and filmmakers of Eve’s Bayou to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary. Released in 1997 to much critical acclaim, Eve's Bayou stands out as a high mark in independent Black cinema, with stand-out performances by Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Meagan Good, Debbie Morgan, and Jurnee Smollett.
After a screening, filmmaker Torell Shavone Taylor will moderate a conversation with director Kasi Lemmons, producer Caldecot “Cotty” Chubb, Good, and other cast members.
Several notable discussion events are on tap during the festival. CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King will have a conversation with actor and director Tyler Perry for the Director’s Series on June 13. In another discussion event, Grammy Award-winning artist and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams will discuss his entire ecosystem and his new projects on June 10.
In a conversation dubbed “Cynthia Erivo Goes Back to Broadway,” Tony Award-winning actors Cynthia Erivo and André De Shields will discuss Broadway's comeback on June 12 and issues surrounding race, identity, and labor raised in the forthcoming documentary, Back to Broadway, by director Jamila Ephron. Also, stand-up comedian and director W. Kamau Bell will join award-winning Surviving R. Kelly filmmaker and writer Dream Hampton on June 18 for a talk.
A master class on documentary directing is scheduled for June 14, featuring Coodie and Chike, who recently made the Kanye West film Jeen-Yuhs. They will have a conversation about the art and ethics of directing documentary films with the co-head of Documentary at Time Studio Loren Hammonds.
Tickets to live events and in-person screenings are available for purchase at tribecafilm.com.
For updates on the complete list of programming for the 2022 Tribeca Festival, follow @Tribeca on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn or visit tribecafilm.com/festival and sign up for the official Tribeca newsletter.
