Q&As, seminars, and more added to "Been Here for Years: Hip Hop at 50"

Our August repertory series, "Been Here For Years: Hip Hop at 50," celebrates the art form's 50 years of existence and influence on cinema culture. Throughout the month, in addition to 20 film screenings, we're excited to host various introductions, panels, and even a live music performance.

more info & tickets

Introductions and panel discussions

Before the screening of Scratch on August 2, director Doug Pray will give a virtual introduction to the film. 

Films that feature post-screening panel discussions include:

  • Wild Style, August 1: director Charlie Ahearn and artist Rob Stull, moderated by Prof. Pacey Foster, founder of the Massachusetts Hip-Hop Archive at UMASS Boston. Additionally, before the feature, we'll screen one of Ahearn's hip hop short films.
  • 8 Mile, August 8: Chilla Jones, Moroney, Xcel, and Cheyraq on battle-rap culture in the last 20 years since the film's release, moderated by Dominique Bocanegra of The Hiphop Archive at Harvard.
  • The 40-Year-Old Version, August 30: director Radha Blank, for a Q&A.

Educational seminar

Before the screening of Clockers on August 22, sign up for Boston Globe film critic Odie Henderson's introductory seminar about Spike Lee's adaptation of the Richard Price thriller.

Watch the series trailer

Thanks to our series partners

MUBI, The Hip Hop Archive, Mass Hip Hop Archive

This Week

  • Winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

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  • A father, accompanied by his son, goes looking for his missing daughter in North Africa.

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  • A hand-made, eye-opening documentary about the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what’s at stake if we get it wrong.

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  • Winner, Best Documentary Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards.

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  • The new film from acclaimed director Christian Petzold (Phoenix, Transit). 

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  • In this five-week class, explore women's voices at the intersection of direction and cinematography.

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  • Céline Sciamma's Cannes-winning period love story is one of the best reviewed films of 2019.

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  • Writer Andrea Meyer will showcase how Bob Fosse’s groundbreaking, irreverent, explosive film is a masterpiece unlike any musical before or since. 

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  • The new film from Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario), starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.

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  • All that work. All that glitter. All that pain. All that love. All that crazy rhythm. All that jazz.

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  • An actress (Amanda Peet) falls for the anxious law school dropout (Matthew Shear) babysitting her kids in this smart, New York-set romantic comedy.

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  • David Lynch's startling debut feature is a lasting cult sensation influenced by the writings of Franz Kafka and Nikolai Gogol.

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  • Three films celebrating the best parts of Massachusetts, part of the 2026 Wicked Queer Film Festival. 

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  • Peter Jackson brings J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings from page to screen in this epic, Academy-Award winning trilogy.

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  • An exhilarating space adventure set in the near future.

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  • Federico Fellini's poetic fable of love and cruelty, the first-ever Academy Award-winner for Best Foreign Language Film.

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  • Mel Brooks's take on Hollywood Westerns starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.

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