On Friday, April 15th, Temple’s School of Theater, Film and Media Arts was thrilled to welcome award-winning filmmaker, musician and activist Boots Riley to Temple’s campus as part of the college tour of his latest film, I Love Boosters!
Boots has been previously nominated for a Gotham Award for his Amazon show I’m a Virgo and previous film Sorry to Bother You, the latter of which was also nominated for a Sundance Award, an NAACP Image Award, and won Best First Feature at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Riley spent the afternoon treating Temple Film and Media Arts students and faculty to a pre-screening conversation, a screening of the film, and then a post-screening Q+A.
Temple FMA Professor Rea Tajiri led the initial pre-screen discussion with students where Riley keyed students into the power of making work that is dynamic, personal and your own, driven by a passion for making art no matter what. Said Boots of how people connect with his art, “I use myself because I think there is a connection to how other people will respond to it... [I like] to make other people feel some of the same things that everyone is going through.”
After the film, Temple Professor Kartik Nair moderated a post-film discussion. Students learned about more specific aspects of the filmmaker’s vision including an investigation of the use of practical effects, a look into the dynamism of the colors the film boasts, and about how the script and film process were completed. Boot’s sister, Denise James is also a Temple professor in the Klein School of Communication and was on hand to support her brother.
Featuring Keke Palmer, Naomie Ackie, LaKeith Stanfield, and Demi Moore, I Love Boosters is a phantasmagorical, brightly-colored and darkly-comedic ride with a political bent, that centers on a group of shoplifters called “The Velvet Gang” as they take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. At Temple, the film found a truly excited audience among the students and guests who responded with uproarious laughter while sitting in rapt attention. Clearly they thoroughly enjoyed the film and many mentioned how they wanted to go see it again. Said Alum and playwright August Hakvaag, “This film is an inspiration! I hope to create the same feelings for the audience in my own work."
While I Love Boosters premiered in March this year at the South by Southwest Festival, Temple students received a sneak peek. It won’t be released widely in theaters until May 22nd.
For his next project, Boots is working on a film adaptation of the stage play Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play by Anne Washburn. We can’t wait! A huge thank you to everyone involved in getting Boots to Temple, it was the kind of visit that changes lives and gives students a real glimpse into their own artistic possibilities. Don’t miss I Love Boosters when it comes to theaters!