IN CINEMA
Harlem International Film Festival: King of Kings + John Leguizamo Live At Rikers
Friday, May 26 at 2PM
Tickets: $15 General Admission/$7 Reduced Price
Presented as part of the 2023 Harlem International Film Festival – Celebrating 100+ Years of Harlem Renaissance and Resilience
King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones
Harriet Marin Jones, 99 min.
A filmmaker searches for the truth about her grandfather Edward Jones, a charismatic African American who rose to the heights of financial and political prominence in Depression-era Chicago. In shaping the destiny of a city, Ed Jones could not however escape his skin color. In conflict with both the mob and the Feds, he was forced into a life on the run. Exploring the rise and fall of the most famous ‘Policy King’ of all time, the filmmaker uncovers an unparalleled story, while showing the lasting repercussions of his untold story, both within her family, and for Chicago’s South where he once embodied the American dream.
Preceded by:
John Leguizamo Live At Rikers
Elena Francesca Engel, 26 min.
John Leguizamo visits Rikers Island Correctional Facility to perform his one-man Broadway show Ghetto Klown for an audience of over 400 inmates. Following his performance, Leguizamo holds group discussions with justice-involved young men awaiting trial or sentencing. This short documentary interweaves excerpts from Leguizamo’s performance and those discussions, bringing attention to the serious challenges and human side of incarceration.