SET IT OFF + Q&A with casting director Robi Reed
Mon. Jan 30, 2023 | 7:30pm
Aero Theatre
‘Perpetratin’ Realism’ Series

F. Gary Gray’s sophomore feature after FRIDAY (1995) was an instant box office success, nominated for a slew of awards, including a GLAAD award for Queen Latifah’s performance and a Grammy nomination for its soundtrack. Blazing with performances from a luminous ensemble cast - Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Queen Latifah, and Kimberly Elise - SET IT OFF has endured as one of the most beloved, iconic heist films of all time.
 
Robi Reed is a renowned casting director and producer. She has over 50 films and television shows to her credit, including beloved 90’s hits THE BEST MAN, SOUL FOOD, LOVE JONES, IN LIVING COLOR, and GIRLFRIENDS. Reed is currently the vice president of talent and casting for original programming at Black Entertainment Television (BET), where she oversees talent and casting for scripted and non-scripted shows.
TICKETS

ABOUT THE SERIES

Perpetratin' Realism: 1990s Black Film
Series continues through April 2023

In the early 1990s, a new wave of Black filmmakers drew audiences from around the world with their bold exploration of Black rage and desire. These films – dubbed by scholar / critic Manthia Diawara “new Black realism” – featured dynamic portrayals of Black people grappling with the hierarchies of power and the living legacies of white racism, gun violence, and illicit economies. From NEW JACK CITY to BOYZ N THE HOOD, these films were popular and profitable – attracting Black audiences to movie theatres…and sparking panic amongst white neighborhoods and business owners. These same Black audiences became the target of police surveillance and repression.

Despite their mixed critical reception, these films reimagined genre filmmaking (from coming-of-age dramas to heist thrillers and buddy comedies) by exposing the failed promises of racial progress and national inclusion. These stories of Black life, love, and friendship navigated complex and often contradictory representations of Black people – in news media, reality television, sitcoms, music, and fashion. This media landscape collapsed the distance between the image and the real – but Black filmmakers forced open and played in that space. Perpetratin’ Realism reflects on Black visual culture and actual Black lives from this very same space.

- Dr. Felice Blake, Dr. Keith Harris, Dr. Roya Rastegar

This program was made possible by a generous grant from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association
SERIES