A Spike Lee documentary about protests at the University of Missouri this fall, which were spurred by what activists said was administrators' indifference to racial issues on campus, made its premiere Wednesday night at a theater near the campus.
Lee worked with ESPN to make the documentary, "2 Fists Up," which examines how the Black Lives Matter movement sparked activism at the University of Missouri and the rest of the county.
Lee contacted the university to set up a screening of a one-hour version of the film, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported.
It was shown at the Missouri Theatre in downtown Columbia. About 800 people were in attendance, the Columbia Missourian and Kansas City Star reported.
University of Missouri System interim President Michael Middleton introduced Lee to the crowd ahead of the screening.
The documentary was initially slated to premiere May 31 as part of a package of short films by Lee collectively called "Spike Lee's Lil' Joints." Jennifer Cingari, a publicist for ESPN Films, said the network still plans to premiere a 22-minute version of the documentary on the network's platforms around that time. A third 30-minute version of the documentary will also be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival this month in New York City.
"Spike is excited about it. He really wants people to see it," Cingari told the Daily Tribune. "It got such a good response. He feels a connection to this."
Lee was on campus last month to interview subjects for the film and record footage of the Concerned Student 1950 group as it protested at multiple spots on campus.
The protests resulted in campus chancellor R. Bowen Loftin and University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe resigning amid discord that included a graduate student's hunger strike and members of the school's football team pledging to boycott the rest of their season until Wolfe was gone.
Missouri football coach Barry Odom said he was not contacted to be in Lee's film or about his players meeting with Lee, but said he trusts they were "responsible" and handled it "the right way." Odom was promoted after former coach Gary Pinkel announced he was retiring days after the season ended because he was suffering from cancer.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
“I’ve... Read More