February 2021 marked the launch of Amplifying Voices, a new digital space that will recognize and celebrate diverse voices throughout the year. Timed to the start of Black History Month, we’re proud to have the inaugural spotlight in this series as a month-long celebration of the extraordinary Black filmmakers and artists who have helped shape cinema and the broader cultural landscape.

FLC closed out the month’s festivities with two special community conversations:

The first of these offerings was a Friday night virtual party, open to anyone and everyone and featuring a curated playlist, event DJ, and an insightful conversation on Black futures in filmmaking, presented with NYC’s Upside Film Festival. Special guests of the conversation included Jourdain Searles (Medium, The New York Times, Variety), Idris Brewster (TRAVELING THE INTERSTITIUM WITH OCTAVIA BUTLER, The Monuments Project), and Vernon Jordan III (See My Dreams Come True, Screencraft 2020). Watch below.

Continuing the conversation online, we asked the Film at Lincoln Center community to share their favorite emerging Black artists. From boundary-pushing filmmakers who recently made waves like Michaela Coel with I May Destroy You and Boots Riley with Sorry to Bother You, to singular voices featured at the 58th New York Film Festival, such as Garrett Bradley (Time) and Ephraim Asili (The Diaspora Suite is now playing in our Virtual Cinema and The Inheritance opens 3/12), the FLC community’s choices captured the excitement centered around Black futures and vitality centered around Black futures. Thank you to everyone who joined last week’s “Community Corner,” a recurring online conversation series, via Instagram and Twitter.

Although our theaters are currently closed, our Virtual Cinema and Media Center remain open 24/7. Stay connected to Film at Lincoln Center by joining our online community on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Letterboxd, and don’t miss a thing by subscribing to the weekly newsletter.

 

Do you have more suggestions to add to the list? Share with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and stay tuned for more conversations on cinema.