Producer/director Reggie Rock Bythewood will headline the Black Carpet Speaker Series sponsored by the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center on Friday, December 17, at 4 p.m., via Zoom.
Bythewood, creator of the AppleTV series “Swagger,” and Lisa Whittington, the series’ main title sequence artist, will share intimate and insider details about the production. The public can register for the free event at www.bherc.TV.
“Swagger,” inspired by the experiences of NBA star Kevin Durant, explores the world of American youth basketball players who walk the fine line between dreams, ambition, and opportunism, and corruption. Bythewood and Whittington will discuss their artistic collaboration on the series along with how they selected a color palette for the series, and the influence of civil rights icon Emmett Till.
The ensemble cast of “Swagger” includes O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh and Academy Award-nominee Quvenzhané Wallis. Bythewood serves as showrunner and executive producer with Kevin Durant, Brian Grazer, Francie Calfo, Rich Kleiman and Samantha Corbin Miller.
As one of Hollywood’s leading Black producer/director/writer, Bythewood’s credits encompass writing the “Get On The Bus” screenplay, producing and writing the “New York Undercover” series, and writing and directing the movies “Biker Boyz,” “Notorious,” and “Gun Hill.” The husband of director Gina Prince-Bythewood, he and his wife serve as co-presidents of the Undisputed Cinema production company.
Whittington, who earned a doctorate in education, is an artist and storyteller. Bythewood used her artwork of Emmett Till as the color palette for “Swagger” and as a narrative source of inspiration to develop the 10-part series.
A native of New York City, Whittington cites NYC’s environment for influencing her provocative approach to art, which emphasizes African American history and education. In 2019, several pieces of her work, including “Under A Soprano Sky”” and “I Am a Man A Man I Am,” were the muse and feature for a stage play called, “The Unbound Trilogy.” In 2020, her autobiographical artwork, “A Harlem Story” was recreated on a wall in Brooklyn to inspire other artists to tell their stories. Recently, Whittington’s play, “Black in the Box,” was virtually produced in Baltimore.
The BHERC Black Carpet Series provides Black filmmakers with a platform to discuss their careers, influences, latest works, and filmmaking insights. In addition, the series offers access to a broad range of audiences and communities, including colleges and universities.
To learn more, visit www.bherc.org or call (310) 284-3170.
