Race Films/Race Matters
FLX Cinemas co-host Race Films/Race Matters: Starting Conversations About Race in America
The Smith is teaming up with Finger Lakes Film Trail, Cinemapolis, Cornell Cinema, to host this series exploring historical race films and how they’re relevant to today. Each participating organization will host a discussion about a selected film; patrons can watch the film and a pre-recorded introduction ahead of time.
Featured films include Within Our Gates (1920), The Scar of Shame (1929), and The Emperor Jones (1933). All events are virtual, open to the public, and free.
Race Films/Race Matters Discussions
Feb. 25 at 7:30pm: Cornell Cinema will be holding their discussion for The Scar of Shame (1929), directed by The Colored Players.
The discussion will feature
- Samantha Sheppard, Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Cornell University
- Ken Fox, Director of Library and Archives at the George Eastman Museum
- Barbara Lupack, film scholar.
For more information and reserve a spot at their discussion, please visit cinema.cornell.edu
March 11th at 7:30pm: The Smith will be co-hosting Within Our Gates (1920), produced and directed by Oscar Micheaux, with Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
The Zoom discussion will feature
- Marilyn Jimenez, Professor Emerita at HWS
- Rebecca Burditt, Assistant Professor of Media & Society at HWS
Click here to register for the Zoom discussion.
Coming Soon: Cinemapolis of Ithaca, NY will be hosting The Emperor Jones (1933). Based on a play by Eugene O’Neill, this film is directed by Dudley Murphy and stars Paul Robeson.
Details for this will be announced at a later date. Stay tuned for more information!
About Race Films
The films known as “race films” were produced between the 1910s and the early 1940s and were created by black film companies for black audiences. They starred black actors and emphasized black-oriented issues and themes
This series uses race films as a starting point for necessary, informative, and provocative conversations about race, racial tension, and racial discrimination in America today.
The Finger Lakes Film Trail program series Race Films/Race Matters: Starting Conversations About Race in America is made possible by an Action Grant from Humanities New York, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
