NEW YORK, NY.- Film Forum will present the U.S. theatrical premiere of The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, the latest film from renowned documentarian Stanley Nelson (Freedom Riders, The Murder of Emmett Till), beginning Wednesday, September 2 (it will also open on Friday, September 11 at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9). The rise and fall of the Black Panther Party during the 1960s and beyond is a uniquely American story of a growing pride in black culture, and militant demands for justice and racial equality. The film’s cast of larger-than-life personalities includes: Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver, and Fred Hampton. Director Stanley Nelson masterfully assembles rare archival footage that contextualizes the history of the Panthers – begun in response to racism and police brutality in Oakland, California. Surviving members of the organization are interviewed alongside retired police officers, FBI informants, journalists, and others – all of whom reflect back in detail on the events that defined the Panthers’ turbulent late ‘60s era.

The Black Panthers does not hesitate to critique its subject, nor does it shy away from judging the corrupt activities of J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI or the countless shoot-outs, raids and arrests that were the response of local police. It is a vibrant chronicle of a pivotal movement and a history that needs to be told to understand today’s still incendiary racial landscape.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution will have a 2-week engagement September 2 – September 15 at Film Forum, 209 W. Houston St. (West of 6th Avenue), with screenings daily at 12:30, 2:45, 5:00, 7:15, 9:40.

Filmmaker Stanley Nelson and former Black Panther, Jamal Joseph, are based in New York and available for interviews (Jamal Joseph in person Sat., Aug. 22 to Tues., Aug. 25 only). Other former Panthers are available for interviews by phone.
Contact: Susan Norget (212) 431-0090, susan@norget.com.

“The film continues a discussion whose present-day relevance is painfully, increasingly obvious. Adding a bounty of excellent archival photographs and some good political soul on the soundtrack.” – John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015, 116 mins.) Written and directed by Stanley Nelson. Produced by Stanley Nelson and Laurens Grant. Cinematography: Antonio Rossi and Rick Butler. Editor: Aljernon Tunsil. Music: Tom Phillips. Featuring Kathleen Cleaver, Emory Douglas, Ericka Huggins, Jamal Joseph, and others. USA. A PBS Distribution release.