Boots Riley – In Person – 2026

Friday, April 17, 10:30 AM
Interview and discussion with Boots Riley moderated by festival director, David Colagiovanni. Free for all but tickets are required. Athena Cinema.

Friday, April 17, 7:15 PM Film Screening followed by Q&A.
I Love Boosters Director: Boots Riley, Narrative, USA, 105 min
Normal festival ticket prices, Free for students. Athena Cinema.

All events take place at The Athena Cinema.

Boots Riley is a director, activist, screenwriter, producer, poet, rapper, and speaker. His directorial debut “Sorry to Bother You” premiered to strong critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. By embedding messages regarding economic and class critique as well as politically progressive movement building into dystopian science fiction satire, “Sorry To Bother You” brought issues surrounding income inequality into wide public discussion in the United States and abroad.

His seven-part series I’m A Virgo released in summer 2023 to critical acclaim. The absurdist comedy about a 13ft tall Black man who lives in Oakland, California stars Jharrel Jerome (who won an Emmy for his role in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us), Brett Gray, Walton Goggins, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Kara Young, Olivia Washington, and Allius Barnes with a score by Tuneyards.

Boots Riley is also the founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine on guitar. A dedicated community based activist, Boots was deeply involved with the Occupy Oakland movement and was one of the leaders of the activist group The Young Comrades. He is the author of the critically acclaimed collection of essays “Tell Homeland Security-We Are the Bomb.”

Screening:

I Love Boosters
Director: Boots Riley, Narrative, USA, 105 min
A crew of professional shoplifters take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven. It’s like community service.