Spike Lee has announced the inaugural “Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party,” a new two-day film festival celebrating Brooklyn’s rich cultural legacy. Co-hosted with New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets owner Clara Wu Tsai, the festival will take place November 6-7, 2026 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The event will feature film screenings, live performances, conversations with cultural icons, and a free street fair, culminating in a special screening of Lee’s 1994 semi-autobiographical film “Crooklyn.”
Spike Lee is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and one of the most influential directors in American cinema. Born in Atlanta but raised in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, Lee has spent decades putting his hometown on the map through his groundbreaking work.
Lee burst onto the film scene in 1986 with the low-budget black-and-white feature “She’s Gotta Have It.” His 1989 masterpiece “Do the Right Thing” — set on a single Brooklyn street over the course of one day — remains one of the most important films in American history, capturing the complexities of racial tension with unflinching honesty.
Over his career, Lee has directed acclaimed films including “Malcolm X,” “25th Hour,” “Inside Man,” and the 2018 Oscar-winning “BlacKkKlansman,” for which he won his first competitive Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Beyond filmmaking, Lee is also a beloved fixture at New York Knicks games, where he has been a courtside presence for decades.
Spike Lee’s latest project is “Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party,” a brand-new two-day festival debuting this fall at BAM. The festival is co-hosted by Lee and Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, and Barclays Center.
According to organizers, Playback is designed to be “a new kind of film festival”—one that brings together filmmakers, artists, performers, and community members to celebrate Brooklyn’s outsized influence on global culture. The festival is produced by filmmaker Nicholas Ma, known for “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” and “Unfinished Business,” in association with BAM.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event Name | Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party |
| Dates | November 6-7, 2026 |
| Venue | Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Brooklyn, NY |
| Hosts | Spike Lee and Clara Wu Tsai |
| Tickets | On sale September 2026 |
| Street Fair | Free and open to the public |
The two-day festival offers a packed program celebrating Brooklyn’s creative spirit.
The festival opens with an evening of music, poetry, film, and conversations at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House. The night will celebrate the inaugural guest curators, who will be announced in the coming months.
Saturday brings the celebration beyond the theater walls:
Guest curators, additional talent, and programming details will be announced in the coming months.
Spike Lee’s connection to Brooklyn is personal and profound. Raised in Fort Greene, he has consistently used the borough as both a backdrop and a character in his films. His work has captured the essence of Brooklyn’s neighborhoods, its people, and its evolving cultural identity for over three decades.
Lee’s films “Do the Right Thing,” “Crooklyn,” and “She’s Gotta Have It” are deeply rooted in the Brooklyn experience. “Crooklyn,” which will close the Playback festival, is his semi-autobiographical love letter to the Brooklyn of his childhood in the 1970s.
Clara Wu Tsai, the festival’s co-host, described Lee’s legacy simply: “Spike has put Brooklyn on screen for decades.” BAM, the festival venue, has served as the borough’s cultural hub for over a century, making it the natural home for this celebration.
The Playback festival has generated buzz for several reasons. First, it brings together two of Brooklyn’s most influential figures: Lee, the borough’s most celebrated filmmaker, and Wu Tsai, the owner of its major sports teams.
Second, the festival is designed to be accessible. The Saturday afternoon block party is free, inviting the entire community to participate. This emphasis on community reflects the inclusive spirit Lee has championed throughout his career.
Third, the festival arrives at a time when Brooklyn’s cultural influence is at a peak. As producer Nicholas Ma noted, “Brooklyn has always been a place where culture gets made. It’s where music, film, art, sports, food, and activism all collide and create something the rest of the world eventually catches up to.”
BAM President Tamara McCaw added that the festival aligns with the institution’s mission of bringing communities together through the arts. “When we watch together, we remember what movies can do: bring us closer, challenge us, inspire us, and remind us of our shared humanity,” Ma said.
Beyond Playback, Spike Lee continues to be a prolific force in cinema. He has an upcoming animated short film titled “APART,” set in apartheid-era South Africa, which he co-wrote. Additionally, Lee is reuniting with frequent collaborator Denzel Washington for “High and Low” (also known as “Highest 2 Lowest”), a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 classic. The film is a co-production between A24 and Apple Original Films and marks the fifth collaboration between the two filmmakers.
What is Spike Lee’s new Brooklyn festival?
Spike Lee has launched “Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party,” a two-day film festival celebrating Brooklyn’s culture at BAM on November 6-7, 2026.
Who is co-hosting the Playback festival with Spike Lee?
Lee is co-hosting the festival with Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty.
What films will be shown at Playback?
The festival will include a special screening of Lee’s 1994 film “Crooklyn,” featuring appearances by Lee and star Alfre Woodard. Guest curators will also select additional repertory films.
Is the Playback festival free to attend?
The Saturday afternoon block party is free and open to the public. Tickets for other events go on sale in September 2026.
Where is the Playback festival taking place?
The festival takes place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in Brooklyn, New York.
When is Spike Lee’s next film coming out?
Lee is working on “High and Low” (or “Highest 2 Lowest”), a remake of the Akira Kurosawa classic, starring Denzel Washington and Jeffrey Wright.
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