First Thursday Films presents “Love & Basketball”
Partners: MSP Film & MN Historical Society
- This event has passed.
A story of the passion it takes to keep your dreams alive.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, produced by Spike Lee, and starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps.
A young African-American couple navigates the tricky paths of romance and athletics in this sports drama. Quincy (Omar Epps) and Monica (Sanaa Lathan) grow up next door to each other playing basketball, fighting, and eventually falling in love. As they struggle to make their relationship work, they follow separate career paths through high school and college basketball, each hoping for stardom in big-league professional ball.
Love & Basketball was the first feature film written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, who went on to direct The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Beyond the Lights (2014) and The Woman King (2022). She is a mentor with the Writers’ Lab, for women screenwriters over 40. Love & Basketball was developed at the Sundance Institute’s Directing and Writing Lab and went on to win the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. The film also received Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best First feature and Best Female Lead for Sanaa Lathan.
John Wright (photo Eric Mueller)
Come for the movie — and stay for the conversation, led this month by John Wright, Professor of African American & African Studies and English at the University of Minnesota, and MSP Film programmer, Craig Laurence Rice.
These conversations at the Capri on the Northside are always thoughtful and rich. Plan to stay, listen, speak up, enjoy.
We have popcorn, candy and beverages for sale this year, too.