BAM proudly joins forces with two iconic Brooklynites—filmmaker Spike Lee and Clara Wu Tsai, owner of the New York Liberty and the Brooklyn Nets—to present Playback: The Brooklyn Watch Party, a two-day celebration of the artists, storytellers, and communities that have made Brooklyn one of the most culturally influential places in the world. Created by filmmaker and producer Nicholas Ma (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Unfinished Business) and special guest curators, this inaugural festival includes screenings of repertory films, pop-up activations, a free street fair, and so much more—head to playbackbk.com and sign up to receive updates.
Bios
Spike Lee
Spike Lee is a visionary filmmaker whose iconic body of work has defined cinema and television for over three decades, and an Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay (BlacKkKlansman) and recipient of an Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. Lee’s acclaimed filmography includes classics such as Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and She’s Gotta Have It, alongside the landmark documentary When the Levees Broke. He operates 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks in Brooklyn, New York.
Clara Wu Tsai
Clara Wu Tsai is a businesswoman and philanthropist. She is Governor and Owner of the New York Liberty and Owner of the Brooklyn Nets. Wu Tsai pursues philanthropic investments across the arts, science, and social justice spaces. She was an executive producer of Into the Okavango, Blue Bayou, Unfinished Business, the 2026 Sundance Special Jury winner Bedford Park, and Bucking Fastard, directed by Werner Herzog.
Nicholas Ma
Nicholas Ma is the President of Ernest Lyford LLC and an award-winning director, writer, speaker, and producer based in Brooklyn. He produced the acclaimed documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, about the life of Fred Rogers, and Unfinished Business on the WNBA. Most recently, he directed Leap of Faith and Mabel. His brainchild, American Revival, a “traveling festival of hope,” has toured in seven cities across the US, selling out each show.
Ahmir “Questlove" Thompson
Ahmir “Questlove" Thompson is a six-time Grammy winner, Academy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, New York Times bestselling author, DJ, and cultural polymath. He’s the co-founder of Philadelphia’s influential hip hop group The Roots, and the Musical Director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He has also served in musical director positions for everyone from D'Angelo and Jay-Z to the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In 2025, Questlove was honored with the Peabody Trailblazer Award in recognition of his cultural impact and innovative storytelling. He was also named one of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2022” by Time Magazine. Most recently, Questlove directed the acclaimed documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World), which HBO premiered in 2026 under the banner of Two One Five Entertainment, the production company he launched with legendary Roots co-founder Black Thought.
Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer, social justice advocate, and founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, where he has spent decades representing death row prisoners, the wrongly convicted, and children sentenced as adults. Stevenson has argued and won multiple cases at the US Supreme Court. He also led the creation of the Legacy Sites in Montgomery, AL. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Just Mercy, which was named by Time Magazine as one of the 10 Best Books of Nonfiction for 2014 and was adapted as a major motion picture.
John Turturro
John Turturro is a New York-raised actor, writer, and director with one of the most distinctive careers in film, television, and theater spanning over four decades. He stars in the upcoming The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, written and directed by Noah Segan. His defining collaborations with Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever) and the Coen brothers (Barton Fink, which won him Best Actor at Cannes, Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski) established him as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. His acclaimed television work includes The Night Of and Severance, for which he received Emmy nominations, alongside blockbusters and other landmark films including O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Quiz Show, The Truce and Mia Madre. Turturro has also directed his own features, including Romance & Cigarettes, Mac (Caméra d’Or), and Fading Gigolo.
Bios
Spike Lee
Spike Lee is a visionary filmmaker whose iconic body of work has defined cinema and television for over three decades, and an Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay (BlacKkKlansman) and recipient of an Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. Lee’s acclaimed filmography includes classics such as Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and She’s Gotta Have It, alongside the landmark documentary When the Levees Broke. He operates 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks in Brooklyn, New York.
Clara Wu Tsai
Clara Wu Tsai is a businesswoman and philanthropist. She is Governor and Owner of the New York Liberty and Owner of the Brooklyn Nets. Wu Tsai pursues philanthropic investments across the arts, science, and social justice spaces. She was an executive producer of Into the Okavango, Blue Bayou, Unfinished Business, the 2026 Sundance Special Jury winner Bedford Park, and Bucking Fastard, directed by Werner Herzog.
Nicholas Ma
Nicholas Ma is the President of Ernest Lyford LLC and an award-winning director, writer, speaker, and producer based in Brooklyn. He produced the acclaimed documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, about the life of Fred Rogers, and Unfinished Business on the WNBA. Most recently, he directed Leap of Faith and Mabel. His brainchild, American Revival, a “traveling festival of hope,” has toured in seven cities across the US, selling out each show.
Ahmir “Questlove" Thompson
Ahmir “Questlove" Thompson is a six-time Grammy winner, Academy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, New York Times bestselling author, DJ, and cultural polymath. He’s the co-founder of Philadelphia’s influential hip hop group The Roots, and the Musical Director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He has also served in musical director positions for everyone from D'Angelo and Jay-Z to the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. In 2025, Questlove was honored with the Peabody Trailblazer Award in recognition of his cultural impact and innovative storytelling. He was also named one of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2022” by Time Magazine. Most recently, Questlove directed the acclaimed documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World), which HBO premiered in 2026 under the banner of Two One Five Entertainment, the production company he launched with legendary Roots co-founder Black Thought.
Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer, social justice advocate, and founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, where he has spent decades representing death row prisoners, the wrongly convicted, and children sentenced as adults. Stevenson has argued and won multiple cases at the US Supreme Court. He also led the creation of the Legacy Sites in Montgomery, AL. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Just Mercy, which was named by Time Magazine as one of the 10 Best Books of Nonfiction for 2014 and was adapted as a major motion picture.
John Turturro
John Turturro is a New York-raised actor, writer, and director with one of the most distinctive careers in film, television, and theater spanning over four decades. He stars in the upcoming The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, written and directed by Noah Segan. His defining collaborations with Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever) and the Coen brothers (Barton Fink, which won him Best Actor at Cannes, Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski) established him as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. His acclaimed television work includes The Night Of and Severance, for which he received Emmy nominations, alongside blockbusters and other landmark films including O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Quiz Show, The Truce and Mia Madre. Turturro has also directed his own features, including Romance & Cigarettes, Mac (Caméra d’Or), and Fading Gigolo.
Leadership support for
BAM's strategic initiatives provided by the
Jerome L. Greene Foundation 
Leadership support for
BAM programming provided by
Leadership support for
BAM's strategic initiatives provided by 
Leadership support for
BAM Film provided by
The Thompson Family Foundation
