40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks is the production company of Spike Lee.[1][2]
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. | |
Founded | 1979 |
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Founder | Spike Lee |
Headquarters | South Elliott Place, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York, New York, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Services | Film production, television production |
Website | 40acres |
The company name is a reference to the phrase most often used to refer to the early Reconstruction period policy and episode of events, in which certain recently emancipated black families on the Georgia coast were given lots of land no larger than 40 acres (160,000 m2) and in some cases surplus army mules. The order, issued in 1865 by General Sherman as "Special Field Order 15", was later revoked by Andrew Johnson, and the land was taken away from the freed slaves and returned to previous owners.[3]
After the success of films Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, Lee expanded the 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks brand by opening clothing stores with merchandise that bore the 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks emblem. Lee has also done several collaborations with Nike, Eckō Unltd. and Brooklyn Denim.
40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks also has an advertising division with DDB called Spike DDB located in New York City, New York. They have done Super Bowl, Nike and Lay's commercial spots. They have produced commercials and music videos in addition to Spike Lee's films.
In 2004, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks moved all of its operations to New York City with headquarters in Brooklyn. 40 Acres and a Mule's headquarters is located on South Elliott Place in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Awards and honors
Filmography
- She's Gotta Have It (1986)
- School Daze (1988)
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Mo' Better Blues (1990)
- Jungle Fever (1991)
- Malcolm X (1992)
- Crooklyn (1994)
- Clockers (1995)
- New Jersey Drive (1995)
- Tales from the Hood (1995)
- Girl 6 (1996)
- Get on the Bus (1996)
- He Got Game (1998)
- Summer of Sam (1999)
- The Best Man (1999)
- The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
- Bamboozled (2000)
- Love & Basketball (2000)
- 3 A.M. (2001)
- 25th Hour (2002)
- Good Fences (2003)
- She Hate Me (2004)
- Inside Man (2006)
- Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
- Red Hook Summer (2012)
- Oldboy (2013)
- Cronies (2015)
- Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2015)
- Chi-Raq (2015)
- Pass Over (2018)
- BlacKkKlansman (2018)
- Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)
- See You Yesterday (2019)
- Da 5 Bloods (2020)
- American Utopia (2020)
Television
- A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
- When the Levees Broke (2006)
- Kobe Doin' Work (2009)
- If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010)
- She's Gotta Have It (2017)
References
- Schartoff, Adam (August 10, 2012). "Get Out: Red Hook Summer Opens Today". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- Williams, Zelena (February 28, 2014). "Spike Lee Rants About Gentrification In Brooklyn". Uptown Magazine. Archived from the original on 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2014-03-01.
- Staples, Brent (July 21, 1997). "Forty Acres and a Mule". The New York Times.
- 70th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2011.