School Daze (R)

Presented in partnership with Newark Symphony Hall, join us for a special screening of Spike Lee’s groundbreaking musical comedy-drama School Daze.

Set at the fictional historically Black Mission College, School Daze follows the activist-minded Dap (Laurence Fishburne) as he navigates campus politics, social divisions, and student activism. Meanwhile, fraternity leader Julian (Giancarlo Esposito) is determined to maintain the status quo, while Dap’s cousin, Half-Pint (Spike Lee), struggles to find where he belongs. Through music, humor, and unforgettable performances, Spike Lee explores identity, colorism, class, and the complexities of Black college life.

Evening Schedule

6:00 PM – Refill Mixer
7:00 PM – Screening of School Daze
8:30 PM – Post-screening conversation featuring special guests and local voices (participants to be announced)
9:00 PM – Closing Refill Mixer

The post-screening conversation will be moderated by Imani Lee-Hector and Millicent Matthews. Additional guests will be announced soon.

This film is presented in partnership with Newark Symphony Hall. Since its founding in 1974, the Newark Black Film Festival has maintained a close relationship with Newark Symphony Hall, one of the city’s anchor cultural institutions. In the festival’s early years, Newark Symphony Hall served alongside the New Jersey Institute of Technology as one of its screening venues, helping bring films that had often only played in arthouse cinemas directly to Newark audiences. That early collaboration reflected a shared mission between the two organizations to make Black cinema and culture accessible to the community, a partnership that continues this year!