Marvel’s 2018 film “Black Panther” took in a staggering $1.3 billion in the box office earlier this year and ignited unbridled enthusiasm among fans of superhero movies and comics, particularly youth of color who could be spotted this last Halloween trick-or-treating dressed as the title character or his sister, Shuri.
Northwest Film Forum will screen this film for free Tuesday at 4 p.m. with a live-streamed question-and-answer session with director Ryan Coogler, who also helmed the films “Fruitvale Station” and “Creed.”
“It’s such a seminal film for the POC community,” said Vivian Hua, executive director of the Northwest Film Forum.
Hua described this as a unique opportunity. Black Panther already screened worldwide in multiplex theaters earlier this year and has been released on Blu-ray, DVD and on streaming services. This screening allows smaller theaters to show the blockbuster film with a unique streaming appearance of the director. Hua said it was “a cool way for art houses to get together and stream a film we normally wouldn’t play, with Disney’s blessing.”
Disney and Film Comment provided the free screening to a dozen theaters across the United States, including the Northwest Film Forum, with support from Art House Convergence. Coogler will answer the questions from the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in California.
Leading up to the screening, viewers can submit questions to Coogler on Twitter with the hashtag #AskBlackPanther.
“Black Panther” follows the journey of T’Challa, who ascended from prince to king of Wakanda after the death of his father, T’Chaka. The film is based on the Marvel character, who debuted in “Fantastic Four” in 1966. He later headlined a multitude comic titles, including one recent series written by Atlantic author Ta-Nehisi Coates.
The screening is free, but Northwest Film Forum is accepting donations. The Film Forum will screen the film on Giving Tuesday, a day of giving to contrast the holiday shopping sprees that take place on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Disney is also donating $1,500 to the Northwest Film Forum to support the screening.
