At BAM in Fort Greene, NYC: Spike Lee's Playback Watch Party Takes Over Brooklyn Nov. 6–7

BAM has teamed up with filmmaker Spike Lee and Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty and the Brooklyn Nets, to launch Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party, a two-day festival on November 6 and 7. It celebrates the artists, storytellers and communities that have made Brooklyn one of the most culturally influential places in the world.

The inaugural edition was created by filmmaker and producer Nicholas Ma, whose credits include Won't You Be My Neighbor?, together with a group of guest curators. The program spans repertory film screenings, talks, live music, pop-up activations and a free street fair.

Friday, November 6 is opening night, with Spike Lee's Crooklyn and introductions from Lee and Ma. That evening, a program of music and poetry is set for the Howard Gilman Opera House.

Saturday's screenings include Love & Basketball, The Battle of Algiers, Divorce Italian Style, City of God, Salaam Bombay!, The King of Comedy and Soul to Soul. City of God was chosen for Playback BK by Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson. Soul to Soul is Denis Sanders's 1971 documentary on the Ghana Independence Day concert in Accra, with performances by Ike and Tina Turner and Santana.

Also on Saturday, from 11am to 5pm, a street party outside BAM Rose Cinemas, presented with The Soapbox Presents, highlights local Brooklyn artists and musicians, with food vendors on hand. It is free, with RSVP.

Most film tickets are $30; the top seat for the Crooklyn screening is $76. The venue is BAM at 30 Lafayette Ave in Fort Greene. Updates are available at playbackbk.com.