Suggested Topics
- An Evening with Spike Lee: America
Through My Lens
Producer, director,
writer and actor Spike Lee has established himself
as one of Hollywood 's most important and influential
filmmakers in the past decade. His work is technically
original, politically-inspired, and often controversial.
His eleventh film, He Got Game, starring Denzel
Washington, was released in 1998, and instantly
hit #1 in the box office.
Lee's other recent projects include an Academy
Award-nominated documentary for HBO, 4 Little
Girls, about the 1963 bombing of a Baptist Church
in Birmingham, and the films, Get On The Bus
and Girl 6. These works follow some of his most
critically acclaimed films: Malcolm X, Do the
Right Thing, Jungle Fever and Crooklyn.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Brooklyn, Lee
attended Morehouse College in Atlanta . After
graduation, he continued his education at New
York University . His NYU student film was showcased
at Lincoln Center and won the Student Award of
the Academy of Motion Pictures . Lee received
his Master of Fine Arts degree in film production
and then founded 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
(a production office), 40 Acres and A Mule Musicworks
(a record company), and Spike's Joint (a retail
company), all based in Brooklyn, where he resides.
He was recently given an honorary doctorate from
NYU.
Lee's debut film, the independently produced
comedy She's Gotta Have It, earned him the Prix
de Jeunesse Award at the Cannes Film Festival
and set him at the forefront of the Black Wave
in American cinema. School Daze, his second feature,
was not only highly profitable, but it also helped
launch the careers of several young black actors.
But it was with Lee's third effort that he joined
the ranks of top moviemakers. Do the Right Thing,
which explored urban racial tensions, won him
an Academy Award nomination for Best Original
Screenplay and Best Film and Director awards
from the L.A. Film Critics Association.
Lee has produced and directed music videos for
such world-renowned artists as Miles Davis, Michael
Jackson, Tracy Chapman, Branford Marsalis, Anita
Baker, and Public Enemy. His other music videos
include work for the belated Phyllis Hyman, Naughty
by Nature, and Arrested Development.
Lee's television commercial
work began in 1988 with his famous Nike Air
Jordan ads. He has collaborated with such sports
stars as Michael Jordan, Sheryl Swoops, Reggie
Miller, Edwin Moses, and Shaquille O'Neal and
worked for such companies as Taco Bell, American
Express, Ben & Jerry's, Nike,
and Levi for television commercials.
Lee has directed several Art
Spot shorts for MTV and a short film featuring
Branford Marsalis and Diahnne Abbott for Saturday
Night Live. He has produced several short films
for HBO, many on sports figures. He received
an Emmy Award for his piece on Albert Belle
for HBO/Real Sports. Also, Lee has authored
several books on the making of his films. His
most recent book, "Best
Seat In The House", was published by Crown
Publishers Inc. |
