Will Smith talked about his first film Emancipation. Its first screening is at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51 st Annual Legislative Conference. The NAACP hosts the film.
Antoine Fuqua, the director of the film and the lead role of the film Smith, and a group of representatives from the Black community were invited to attend the screening. Among these were members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Divine 9, National Council of Negro Women, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, Power Rising, and #WinWithBlack Women.
The official release date for the film is not released yet. it is expected the film will be out in time for awards season.
Before Will Smith’s ten-year ban from the Academy after slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, he recently apologized in July, Emancipation was considered a prime contender.
During the post-screening conference, Will Smith made public comments about the film, expressing the importance of the movie. “Throughout my career, I have turned down many films that were set in slavery. I never wanted to show us like that, and then this picture came along and this is not a film about slavery,” Smith said, speaking candidly to the audience about why he joined the project.
Smith added “This is a film about the heart of a man—what could be called the first viral image. “Cameras had just been created, and the image of whipped Peter went around the world.
It was a rallying cry against slavery, and a story that exploded and blossomed in my heart that I wanted to deliver to you in a way that only a filmmaker could deliver.”