IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK premiered last night at Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater as part of the New York Film Festival

The premiere marked the first time that a film from the New York Film Festival played at the historic Harlem theater. Following a Q&A in the packed theater, the cast made their way to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Harlem hotspot Red Rooster to celebrate. 

Attendees from the film included KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Diego Luna, Finn Wittrock, Ed Skrein, Aunjanue Ellis, Emily Rios, Ebony Obsidian, Dominique Thorne

Filmmakers in attendance included Writer/Director/Producer Barry Jenkins, Plan B's Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, PASTEL'S Adele Romanski and Sara Murphy, composer Nicholas Britell, cinematographer James Laxton, costume designer Caroline Eselin-Schaeffer, editors Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders

Notable guests included actor Lakeith Stanfield, actor Michael K. Williams, actress Samira Wiley, actor Josh Radnor, actress Alia Shawkat, actress Adepero Oduye, actor Marcus Scribner, actress Jasmine Cephas Jones, model TK Quann, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, director Bo Burnham

Exclusively in NYC on November 30

Expanding on December 7

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IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Academy Award-winning writer/director Barry Jenkins’ first film since the Best Picture Oscar-winning Moonlight is If Beale Street Could Talk, his adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel — the first English-language feature film based on the work of the author, to whom the movie is dedicated. 

Set in early-1970s Harlem, If Beale Street Could Talk is a timeless and moving love story of both a couple’s unbreakable bond and the African-American family’s empowering embrace, as told through the eyes of 19-year-old Tish Rivers (screen newcomer KiKi Layne). A daughter and wife-to-be, Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny (Stephan James). Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit.

Through the unique intimacy and power of cinema, If Beale Street Could Talk honors the author’s prescient words and imagery, charting the emotional currents navigated in an unforgiving and racially biased world as the filmmaker poetically crosses time frames to show how love and humanity endure.

Director: Barry Jenkins

Writer: Barry Jenkins

Producers: Megan Ellison, Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner

Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Ed Skrein, Diego Luna, Dave Franco, Pedro Pascal