The Grand Lake Theatre once again became a showcase for Oakland pride, as hundreds of moviegoers gathered in costumes and high spirits to celebrate the release of Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters.”
The Bay Area-set anti-capitalist surreal comedy starring Keke Palmer, Demi Moore and LaKeith Stanfield had preview screenings nationally beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 21, ahead of its official release the following day. Here, lines stretched up Grand Avenue as ticket buyers, many dressed in costume, anxiously waited to get inside the historic theater to show support for one of the Town’s own.
The Oakland-based Bay Area Film Night bought out three theater screening rooms and sold out four showings, with the last one letting out around 1 a.m. the next morning. The logistics of letting one crowd out and getting the next one in even had theater owner Allen Michaan pitching in to help clean the theater between screenings.
“This night is extremely special,” Bay Area Film Night Executive Director Rippin Sindher told the Chronicle. “I look outside, there’s a line full of people from all races, colors, ethnicities, genders. That’s what I live for.”
Bay Area Film Night Executive Director Rippin Sindher, left, and founder Jamal Trulove prepare to kick off a showing of “I Love Boosters” at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland on Thursday, May 21. (Noah Berger/For the S.F. Chronicle)
The night’s showing speaks to the connection many Bay Area residents feel to Riley and his work.
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“I Love Boosters” (R) is in theaters nationwide Friday, May 29.
“Boots Riley is so unapologetic in his activism, in his existence, in his authenticity as a filmmaker,” Sindher went on. “To me, (‘I Love Boosters’) is inspiring and really saying to people, excuse my French, ‘F- the system!'”
Bay Area Film Night, founded by actor and filmmaker Jamal Trulove, hosts cinema events and partners with various community organizations. On Thursday, that included the Town Experience, which promotes Oakland culture, and Trapxart, a clothing brand and media company.
“We story tell around the culture and share positive narratives that put the best light on what Oakland really has to offer,” said Town Experience founder Charlese Banks. “Any time we have a movie that is somehow attached to Oakland, we try to bring the community together to not only boost local theaters’ business, but also to watch these films together.”
But the crowd didn’t just come to watch a movie. Dressed for the occasion, there was as much colorful eye candy offscreen as there was onscreen, with a preshow costume contest inspired by Riley’s bright, monochromatic costume design in “I Love Boosters.” The winner was Paradise the Poet, an Oakland artist.
There was also a stand-up comedy set by Oakland comedian Jerry Law.
Riley was supposed to attend, but canceled at the last moment. No one seemed to mind.
The audience was having so much fun that by the time “I Love Boosters” actually began screening, it risked being an afterthought. But the crowd was fully engaged.
“Movies that are based around Oakland culture, it’s a certain language and lingo and energy that happens in the room,” Banks said. “I think people are really going to love it.”
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This article originally published at Photos: Inside Oakland’s high-energy celebration for Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’.