The Toronto Black Film Festival (TBFF) will present Academy Award Winning director and Cannes Film Festival’s first Black Jury President, Spike Lee with the TBFF 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, February13,7PM at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. #TBFF20 is thrilled to grant him this prestigious award in recognition of his body of work which revolutionized the role of black talent in Hollywood, tearing away decades of stereotypes and marginalized portrayals to establish a new arena for African American voices to be heard. 

The evening will begin with the screening of the restored version of Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, followed by an intimate discussion with the famed director on his journey as a filmmaker, writer, actor and producer. He will also share his advice on filmmaking today; how he sees the future of Black films and diversity off/on screen; as well as his view on today’s social-economic issues. A privileged moment with the legendary Oscar winning director of Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, BlaKkKlansman. 

“Welcoming and paying tribute to the legendary Spike Lee at the 2020 Toronto Black Film Festival is a true privilege for us all and quite a coup for Toronto and the Festival. His commitment to independent cinema, his strength, determination, and activism in achieving social justice really make a difference in in a world that, too often, tends to silence us.” Said Fabienne Colas, President and Founder of the TBFF.