Fox Celebrates Black History Month with 25th Anniversary Screening of "The Five Heartbeats"
21st Century Fox Social Impact
On February 26th, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and parent company 21st Century Fox sponsored a special 25th anniversary screening and Q&A for the iconic 1991 film "The Five Heartbeats," hosted by the Writers Guild of America, West's Committee of Black Writers. The event was held in celebration of Black History Month, bringing together people of color from across the industry, including 50 current students at Ghetto Film School Los Angeles, of which 21st Century Fox is a co-founder.
"What a great night celebrating 'The Five Heartbeats' with the family," Townsend tweeted. "Thanks again for making the [film's] 25th anniversary truly special."
More than 500 guests attended the screening, including journalists and the film's cast and creative team, reuniting director/co-writer/star Robert Townsend with co-writer Keenen Ivory Wayans for a Q&A moderated by actress Ashley Blaine Featherson ("Dear White People"). They discussed the experience creating the film 25 years ago, advice they would give to up and coming filmmakers, and the state of the industry today.
"Equality is something we will continue to strive for," said Wayans.
The event also served as inspiration for 50 current students from Ghetto Film School Los Angeles (GFS LA). Based in MacArthur Park, GFS LA works to educate, develop, and celebrate the next generation of great American storytellers through its 30-month rigorous immersion program in cinematic storytelling and production. 21st Century Fox is founding sponsor of GFS LA, which serves diverse high school students across the city and is completely free of charge.
