Black Panthers Vanguard of the Revolution Poster Square
So much of The Black Panthers movement remains misunderstood, misrepresented and, in some cases, entirely unknown. The political movement for black liberation was a vital force for change and, in some cases, retaliation during the late 20th century. From Black Lives Matter to Assata Shakur, the Pathers tenets, along with their individual leaders, are still very much a force in modern society. Now, a new documentary aims to make that lineage all the more visible.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, is a new feature-length documentary that is about to be unveiled at theaters across America, as well as overseas. Pulling from archival footage and new interviews, director Stanley Nelson offers up a thorough portrait of the movement, not shying away from criticism of the Panthers when it's warranted. In a new trailer for the doc, we see news reel clips, old photographs, and modern conversations that harken back to the days of fire hoses, police dogs and wonton oppression. If the Panthers were anything, they were an organized stand for autonomy and a refusal to sit idly by while the state and its apparatuses continued to marginalize black lives. "Being black in America meant you didn't walk down the street with the same sense of safety, and the sense of privilege as a white person," we hear in the brief clip, a line so similar to the headlines and testimonies of today that it it's clear: in a way, we need the Black Panthers now more than ever. Watch the film's first official trailer below, and check out its extensive screening schedule below to find your best chance to catch the movement on the big screen.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution release schedule:
September 7 - Cambridge Film Festival - Cambridge, ENGLAND
September 8 - Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film - Chapel Hill, NC
Opens September 11* - AMC Magic Johnson Harlem - Harlem, NY
Opens September 11* - Landmark Kendall Square - Boston, MA
September 15 - Space Gallery - Portland, ME
September 16* - Charles Theater - Baltimore, MD
Opens September 18* - E Street Cinema - Washington, DC
Opens September 18* - Landmark Ritz at the Bourse - Philadelphia, PA
Opens September 18* - Charles Theatre - Baltimore, MD
Opens September 18 - Webster Film Series - St. Louis, MO
Opens September 18 - Northwest Film Forum - Seattle, WA
Opens September 18 CCA Santa Fe Santa Fe, NMSeptember 18 - Sydney Underground Film Festival - Sydney, AUSTRALIA
September 20 - Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Opens September 25* - Landmark Nuart - Los Angeles, CA
Opens September 25* - Gene Siskel Film Center - Chicago, IL
Opens September 25 - O Cinema Wynwood - Miami, FL
Opens September 25 - Digital Gym Cinema - San Diego, CA
September 28* - Milwaukee, WI - September 30
Marchesa Hall & Theater - Austin, TX
October 2* - Landmark Opera Plaza - San Francisco, CA
October 2* - Piedmont Theatre - Oakland, CA
October 2* - Shattuck Cinemas - Berkeley, CA
October 2* - Smith Rafael Film Center - San Rafael, CA
October 5 - Milwaukee Film Festival - Milwaukee, WI
October 8 - Hollywood Theatre - Portland, OR
Opens October 9 - Hollywood Theatre - Portland, OR
Opens October 9* - Landmark Midtown Art Cinemas - Atlanta, GA
Opens October 9 - Landmark Theatres - Minneapolis, MN
Opens October 9 - Real Art Ways - Hartford, CT
October 11* - Detroit Film Theater - Detroit, MI
November 3 - The Nickelodeon - Columbia, SC
*Stanley Nelson Q&A
