This screening is part of the Reel Black series presented by SIFF and Langston, exploring the legacy of Sidney Poitier. The December 6 screening of the new documentary, Sidney will be followed by a panel discussion.

Sidney Poitier was one of the most gifted and talented actors in the history of cinema. He set a new standard for Black actors in Hollywood as a leading man, becoming the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field (1963). He acted in the Golden Age of Hollywood, became a key figure in the civil rights movement, served as a diplomat, and directed and produced highly successful films. Through it all he became husband to two wives, the mothers of his six daughters. Sidney the documentary takes viewers through the life and career of Sidney Poitier in his own words, through narration captured in an in-depth interview conducted by producer Oprah Winfrey, and in the words of his family, friends and those whose lives he influenced most.