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The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Do the Right Thing

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Do the Right Thing September 16 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1989 | Run Time: 120 min | DCP  Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Miriam Petty (Northwestern University)   Do the Right Thing is one of Spike Lee’s most powerful films and addresses the lasting impact of racist ideology on African-American and larger U.S. communities, especially within communities where many people must live together. Lee battled with Paramount over the budget and script—issues that were not resolved. He finally ended up getting a deal with Universal Studios along with final cut approval—something he felt committed to having based on the marketing fiasco with School Daze. Do the Right Thing is Lee’s first union film—meaning, the first time he would use a union crew. With some wrangling, he secured a number of African-Americans into the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, most who had been formerly excluded.   Do the Right Thing, in many people’s minds, is the film that launched Lee… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, September 16, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

Documentaries with a Conscience: A Conversation with Oscar®-winning producer-director Joshua Seftel

Documentaries with a Conscience: A Conversation with Oscar®-winning producer-director Joshua Seftel September 17 at 4pm in White Hall 207 It is a rare occasion when Emory hosts an Oscar-winner. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to hear filmmaker/ journalist Joshua Seftel discuss the challenges (practical and ethical) of documentary filmmaking and journalism in this current moment of contested truths and politicized news media. The talk will include plentiful clips from his work and time for questions from the audience. Joshua Seftel is a versatile filmmaker / journalist driven for 35 years by the conviction that storytelling can promote empathy, connection and change.  His work includes the Oscar®-winning All the Empty Rooms (2025), about the aftermath of school shootings across the country (executive produced by NBA coach Steve Kerr and writer-director-producer Adam McKay); Stranger at the Gate (2023), about a U.S. Marine dissuaded from bombing a small town mosque, executive produced by Nobel Peace… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Arts at Emory. Film & Media. Sociology Department. Center for Ethics. Comparative Literature. Department of. Program in Creative Writing. Human Health (Center for the Study of). Dept of Comparative Literature Program. Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Thursday, September 17, 2026, 4:00 PM.

ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS: Screening and Panel Discussion

ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS: Screening and Panel Discussion September 17 at 7:30pm in White Hall 208 Gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. Join us for a special screening and discussion of the powerful Academy Award-winning documentary short ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS (2025), which goes beyond the headlines to explore the profound and lasting impact of school shootings on children, families and communities. Following the film, join producer-director Joshua Seftel and a panel of experts in pediatric firearm injury and its aftermath for a conversation about the impact of these tragedies and opportunities for prevention. PANELISTS: Dr. Chethan Sathya, Director, Center for Gun Violence Prevention at Northwell Health, pediatric trauma surgeon and consulting producer on ALL THE EMPTY ROOMS Heather Hallett, Director, GA Majority for Gun Safety Coalition Sasha Contreras, Survivor, Valedictorian of Apalachee H.S. C/o 2026, Co-Founder, Change For Chee The panel will be… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Arts at Emory. Film & Media. Sociology Department. Center for Ethics. Comparative Literature. Department of. Program in Creative Writing. Human Health (Center for the Study of). Dept of Comparative Literature Program. Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Thursday, September 17, 2026, 7:30 PM.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Jungle Fever

Emory Cinematheque Presents: Jungle Fever September 23 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1991 | Run Time: 132 min. | DCP Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Mikal Gaines (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences)   Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever explores interracial coupling (specifically the black-white version of it), the devastation of drug use in Black communities, class status both within and outside of race, and gender roles. The film opens with a tribute to Yusef Hawkins, a young Black teen murdered in 1989.   On August 23, 1989, 16-year-old Hawkins went to look for a used car in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn, New York with three of his friends. A mob of about 30 youths approached them, most of them carrying bats. However, one was carrying a gun. This mob of mostly white Italian-Americans were angry because one of their girlfriends invited a Black boy to her eighteenth birthday party. Thinking Hawkins and his friends were there for the party, they beat them with bats and shot Hawkins dead.… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Malcolm X

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Malcolm X September 30 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1992 | Run Time: 202 min | DCP Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Charlene Regester (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)   Spike Lee’s Malcolm X comes out in 1992 with Warner Bros. The film is based on the 1964 book, The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley, which was published one year before Malcolm X’s assassination. In the film, audiences see Malcolm X through various points of his varied, short life: as Malcolm Little, Malcolm X, and El- Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. Getting the film to screen was no small feat since others had tried as well, having several different screenwriters over time. Film scholar Anna Everett writes about Lee’s negotiations with the work: “For Lee, courting controversy over Malcolm X was a necessary act of political and cultural intervention that turned on matters of credibility, authenticity, and even profitability.” In an interview, Lee talks about the importance of Malcolm… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, September 30, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

Ethics at the Movies: Riverkeeper

FREE Screening at Emory University - RIVERKEEPER, Thursday, October 1, 2026 7:00 PM EDT, Rita Anne Rollins Building Room 102 ------- In partnership with the Emory Center for Ethics, Ethics & the Arts Program, the Atlanta Film Society presents a free screening of RIVERKEEPER and a Q&A with Dr. Jacqueline Echols. This screening is a part of Emory University's ongoing Ethics At The Movies series. This event is free and open to the public; Ticket reservation is required. RIVERKEEPER SYNOPSIS The Clean Water Act has been a cornerstone of America’s environmental protections, empowering activists and communities to defend their waterways. In Atlanta, Dr. Jackie Echols embodies that promise, restoring the South River and advocating for the Black communities along its banks. But when city leaders announce plans for “Cop City,” a massive police training facility that would clearcut one of Atlanta’s last forests, Jackie joins a sprawling grassroots resistance movement to protect the land and people. In doing so she… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Arts at Emory. Center for Ethics. Film & Media. Event Open To: All (Public). Cost: Free. Registration / R.S.V.P. link: https://atlfsyr.eventive.org/schedule/6a6a30aacb0880152b2c688c. Contact Name: Laura Asherman. Contact Email: laura.asherman@emory.edu. Thursday, October 1, 2026, 7:00 PM. Rita Anne Rollins Building Room 102 | 1531 Dickey Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Crooklyn

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Crooklyn October 7 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1994 | 115 min. | DCP Introduced by Dr. Nsenga Burton (Virginia State University) and Professor Dehanza Rogers (Emory University) “Imagine sitting on the stoop of your Brooklyn brownstone, gossiping with the neighbors while kids play hop-scotch in the street and jump rope on the sidewalk. That's the urban community Spike Lee recreates in Crooklyn, a funny, high-energy movie about Carolyn and Woody Carmichael, and their five kids.” (Network Journal) Crooklyn is a presumed semi-autobiographical tale of Shelton ‘Spike’ Lee’s family as told through a young girl, presumably his sister Joie Lee who co-wrote it with him along with their brother Cinque Lee. This is the second film in which Lee centers a female protagonist, the first being She’s Gotta Have It. Cinematographer Arthur Jaffa lenses this beautiful film that moves from the idyllic summer days of 1970s Brooklyn to the heat of the Black Virginia south. Film scholar Mark D.… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, October 7, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Clockers

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Clockers October 14 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1995 | Run Time: 128 min. | DCP Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Paula Massood (Brooklyn College CUNY) Clockers opens as the first film Spike Lee directed that he did not actually write. Adapted from Richard Price’s book Clockers, Lee taps cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed to re-imagine Black urban life set in the cross hairs of nonsensical violence. Using grainy film stock and differentiating dolly shots, Lee focuses on a group beyond the Black middle class. The film feels reminiscent to his 1983 thesis film, Joe’s Bedstuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads but with a 1990s sensibility and ownership. Clockers emerged at the beginning of what has been described as both a renaissance of Black filmmaking and a new Black exploitation period. This period was kicked off in 1991 with the releases of New Jack City and Boyz in the Hood. The success of these films encouraged Hollywood to produce several narratives of Black, urban, and… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Girl 6

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Girl 6 October 21 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1996 | Run Time: 108 min | 35mm Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Stephane Dunn (Morehouse College) Print provided by Yale Film Archive. Girl 6 is Spike Lee’s eighth commercial film and the third where he centers a woman as the main protagonist. Made in 1996, it is based on a play by African-American playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. It examines the phone sex business (as a parody of Hollywood) and one Black woman’s dreams against her negotiation of that industry.  Essence gushes about Theresa Randle who stars as girl 6 saying, “Randle possesses the chameleonlike ability to be every woman you've ever known and one you've never met before.” Even cultural critic bell hooks, known for getting in Lee’s a** about his work, says: “I find Girl 6 to be a movie that not only challenges Hollywood but is a critical read on Hollywood.” In a surrealist tone, the film attempts to deconstruct the lucrative but under-explored entertainment… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, October 21, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: 4 Little Girls

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: 4 Little Girls October 28, 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1997 | Run Time: 102 min. | Digital Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Christine Acham (University of Hawai'i at Manoa)   4 Little Girls is Spike Lee’s first feature-length documentary. The film asks audiences to relive the horrific tragedy of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama on a Sunday morning in 1963. It poignantly examines not only what happened but more importantly, the lives of the girls killed and the lives of those left behind. “Only a filmmaker so resourceful, so entirely confident in his practiced craft, could have made such a quilt out of patches of nightmare and nostalgia – of gospels, ghosts, and grief. And only Lee, having earned the trust of these people, could have persuaded them to talk to him” (New York Magazine). Film scholar Delphine Letort writes about Lee’s documentary practice and his turn to documentary making saying: “The documentary’s explanatory approach to… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

Ethics at the Movies: El Regreso

FREE Screening at Emory University - EL REGRESO , Thursday, November 3, 2026 7:00 PM EDT, Rita Anne Rollins Building Room 102 ------- In partnership with the Emory Center for Ethics, Ethics & the Arts Program, the Atlanta Film Society presents a free screening of EL REGRESO, featuring a Q&A with director Samantha “Sam” Ramirez-Herrera. This screening is a part of Emory University's ongoing Ethics At The Movies series. This event is free and open to the public; Ticket reservation is required. El REGRESO SYNOPSIS At Age 7, Sam Ramirez-Herrera left Mexico with her family in pursuit of the American Dream. Now a filmmaker, DACA recipient and advocate for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. Sam, like so many other “Dreamers,” finds herself caught between two nations—fully belonging to none. On the eve of Dia De Los Muertos, she is offered the opportunity to return to Mexico after 30 years away. Leaving the U.S. for the first time, Sam embarks on a journey to reconnect with her past and convene with her Mexican… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Arts at Emory. Center for Ethics. Film & Media. Event Open To: All (Public). Cost: Free. Registration / R.S.V.P. link: https://atlfsyr.eventive.org/schedule/6a6a30c754d0703878ea75c7. Contact Name: Laura Asherman. Contact Email: laura.asherman@emory.edu. Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 7:00 PM. Rita Anne Rollins Building Room 102 | 1531 Dickey Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: He Got Game

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: He Got Game November 4 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208  1998 | Run Time: 136 min. | 35mm Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Samantha Sheppard (Cornell University) If you’ve ever watched New York professional basketball or witnessed the 2026 championship Knicks play, you’ve seen Spike Lee live and in color. Lee is an avid basketball fan and has floor seats for all Knicks home games. He is also the director of many commercials that illuminate the sport like Chic H.I.S. the Continental Basketball Association, and those that kicked off the relationship between Michael Jordan and Nike. Lee’s love and knowledge of basketball make his 1998 film He Got Game aesthetically beautiful and contemplative. A fascinating look into one of America’s favorite past times, the story deals with big-time college recruiting processes, the money and politics involved in sports, and one outstanding Black young man basketball player. The film is lensed by Malik Hassan Sayeed, the same… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, November 4, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Summer of Sam

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Summer of Sam November 11 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 1999 | Run Time: 142 min. | 35mm Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Racquel Gates (Columbia University) Released in 1999, Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam is based on the 1977 killing spree of David Berkowitz, known as the Son of Sam. It fuses that year’s heatwave, Bronx, New York energy, sex, and disco with the fear of a serial killer. It’s Lee’s first film not about Black communities. Mike Imperioli (of The Sopranos fame), Victor Colicchio, and Lee wrote Summer of Sam. Actor and star Roger Guenveur Smith talks about the making of the film. “’Summer of Sam’ was shot almost entirely in the Country Club section of the Bronx where the first of the murders took place. ‘You could feel it among the people on the street who had actually lived through this summer and lost people to that man. On one level it's a movie; it's make-believe. But for some of the people in that community, it was a very real experience. It's difficult… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Bamboozled

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: Bamboozled November 18 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 2000 | Run Time: 135 min. | 35mm  Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Alessandra Raengo (Georgia State University) On a budget of ten million dollars and shot primarily on Mini-DV, Spike Lee wrote and directed the script for this funny and parodic examination of television targeting Black audiences. Lee wanted to experiment with the new technology and tapped Ellen Kuras to serve as the film’s DP (Kuras also shot 4 Little Girls and Summer of Sam). He notes, “…digital video was a good aesthetic choice because it’s a film about a television show…using Mini-DV suited this film perfectly because we had a lot to do on this shoot and we needed to move” (The St. Louis American). Released in 2000, Bamboozled garnered a split reception of its meaning, significance and impact on filmmaking and Black representation. In her book Critical Race Theory and Bamboozled, film scholar Alessandra Raengo suggests that the film may be the… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

Ethics at the Movies: Shot in the Arm

FREE Screening at Emory University - SHOT IN THE ARM , Thursday, December 1, 2026 7:00 PM EDT, Rita Anne Rollins Building Room 102 ------- In partnership with the Emory Center for Ethics, Ethics & the Arts Program, the Atlanta Film Society presents a free screening of SHOT IN THE ARM. This screening is a part of Emory University's ongoing Ethics At The Movies series. This event is free and open to the public; Ticket reservation is required. SHOT IN THE ARM SYNOPSIS In the spring of 2019, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy began investigating a global measles epidemic. He filmed with both top public health officials working to halt the epidemic and ‘anti-vaxxers’ who were persuading millions of parents to refuse vaccines for their children. Then COVID-19 happened. Acting quickly, Kennedy shifted his focus to this once-in-a-century tragedy. Both skeptical and hopeful, Shot in the Arm, executive produced by Neil deGrasse Tyson, asks one of the most pressing questions of our time: can we… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Arts at Emory. Center for Ethics. Film & Media. Event Open To: All (Public). Cost: Free. Registration / R.S.V.P. link: https://atlfsyr.eventive.org/schedule/6a6a30db463df96fc963e19a. Contact Name: Laura Asherman. Contact Email: laura.asherman@emory.edu. Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 7:00 PM. Rita Anne Rollins Building Room 102 | 1531 Dickey Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: 25th Hour

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: 25th Hour December 2 at 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 2002 | 135 min. | 35mm Directed by Spike Lee, Dr. Mark Cunningham (Austin Community College) “Cornered by the DEA, convicted New York drug dealer Montgomery Brogan reevaluates his life in the 24 remaining hours before facing a seven-year jail term” (25th Hour logline). Based on David Benioff’s book of the same title, Spike Lee’s 25th Hour pays homage to the city of New York post 9/11. “Lee spans all of the five boroughs in this film. In his visits to Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx, his camera focuses on symbols that glorify the richest city in the nation. Lady Liberty gets a shot from a Staten Island spot. The Brooklyn Bridge connects with Manhattan in a passing glance. Queens has its moments, too” (New York Amsterdam News). Beams of light shine where the twin towers stood in Manhattan and seeming chants and sounds of the Middle East create the introductory sonic. The Afro-American Red Star calls… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, December 2, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: BlacKkKlansman

The Emory Cinematheque Presents: BlackKklansman December 9, 7:30 p.m. in White Hall 208 2018 | 135 min. | DCP Directed by Spike Lee Introduced by Dr. Ellen C. Scott (University of California, Los Angeles) BlacKkKlansman is a Spike Lee joint loosely based on Ron Stallworth’s memoir, Black Klansman, published in 2014. The story details the work life of Stallworth within the Colorado Springs Police Department in the 1970s. While there, as the department’s first Black detective, Stallworth attempts to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan.  The debates around the film and Lee’s perceived return to an earlier verve make for a compelling viewing experience. Longtime Village Voice cultural critic and author Greg Tate believes that “On a meta-level, Spike and BlacKkKlansman’s real-life heroic subject share something in common, they’re both spooks who not only spat inside the door but blew off its hinges in the process.”   However, scholar and writer Joshua Sperling notes that another filmmaker, Boots Riley, felt some… University Event Topic: Arts. School: All Emory University. Department / Organization: Film & Media. Arts at Emory. Event Open To: All (Public). Contact Name: Ted Davis. Contact Email: theodore.davis2@emory.edu. Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 7:30 PM. White Hall 208 | 301 Dowman Dr.