Synopsis

In 1972, during a period of political and racial unrest, Rev. Jesse Jackson and his organization Operation PUSH held a Black Exposition on Chicago’s South Side to celebrate Black excellence in business and culture. This new version of the film captures the epic five-day event — virtually unseen since its original release more than 50 years ago — with a glorious display of legendary musical performances, creating a jubilant and soul-stirring snapshot of the times.

The Temptations’ singing “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” Bill Withers crooning “Lean on Me.” Gladys Knight & The Pips pounding out “I Heard it Through the Grapevine.” A show-stopping number from The Jackson 5 singing “I Want You Back.” These and many more rousing moments — from the Staples Sisters to Issac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield to Quincy Jones — keep on coming. There are also somber moments that evoke the contentious time period, from Sammy Davis, Jr.’s confessional “I’ve Gotta Be Me” to Marvin Gaye’s political ballad “What’s Going On.” Like Questlove’s Summer of Soul, director Stan Lathan has crafted and restored this transportive film, which is both a reclamation of forgotten Black history and a testament to the power of music.

Synopsis

Ivan Dixon’s The Spook Who Sat By the Door is a radical adaptation of Sam Greenlee’s 1969 novel and a seminal work of American political cinema. The film stars Lawrence Cook as Dan Freeman, the first Black CIA agent, who secretly utilizes his training to build a guerrilla army on the south side of Chicago aimed at toppling the U.S. government. Freeman’s covert operations highlight the militant struggle for Black liberation that intensified in the wake of the civil rights movement.

Blending satire with serious political commentary, Dixon’s explosive narrative remains a powerful critique of systemic racism and oppression. Restored to its original glory, the film’s urgency and revolutionary spirit continue to resonate today, showcasing its timeless relevance and incisive portrayal of Black resistance.

Restored by The Library of Congress and The Film Foundation. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.

Synopsis

Late one night, while Chris (Nnamdi Asomugha), his wife (Aja Naomi King), and their two daughters are sleeping upstairs in their home, Chris hears an intruder. Unsettled and scared, he warily investigates, and finds himself face-to-face with a stranger in his kitchen. Chris reacts impulsively to protect his family, and his response sets in motion a night that will have far-reaching consequences.

This stunning, compact thriller — which also marks star Asomugha’s directorial debut — takes place over the course of a few hours. A frantic family takes quick action. Throngs of police arrive to investigate the scene. And a bullish white detective (The Fighter’s Melissa Leo) sets the family in her sights, willing to do whatever it takes to quickly resolve the case. As tensions escalate between the family and police, The Knife sharply explores the ways in which a Black family experiences a tenuous relationship with security, justice, and the American dream.

Synopsis

On a whim, single father Lucky decides to take his 11-year-old son Mason to experience an American rite of passage: his first baseball game. It seems simple enough. But Lucky, bereft after a recent personal tragedy and navigating his son’s Down syndrome on his own, encounters a series of obstacles that will test his patience and his confidence as the two set out across Atlanta.

Photographed in vivid black-and-white with echoes of neorealist landmarks like Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep and Vittorio de Sica’s The Bicycle Thief, David Fortune’s subtle and elegantly conceived feature debut is brimming with authenticity and heart. With A Thousand and One co-star Will Catlett delivering another magnetic and sympathetic portrayal of a strong, nurturing Black man, Color Book is an intimate and resonant portrait of the unique, tender relationship between father and son.