{"id":292401,"date":"2026-04-30T02:03:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T02:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/292401\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T02:03:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T02:03:21","slug":"boots-rileys-raucous-i-love-boosters-premieres-in-oakland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/292401\/","title":{"rendered":"Boots Riley\u2019s raucous \u2018I Love Boosters\u2019 premieres in Oakland"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was frenzied Tuesday night outside the Grand Lake Theatre as crowds formed long lines that wrapped around both sides of the historic Oakland landmark<\/a> to squeeze into back-to-back sold-out screenings of Boots Riley\u2019s new comedy \u201cI Love Boosters.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to watch this with you,\u201d Riley said before the first screening began. \u201cIt took a lot of pushing to make this happen. You\u2019ll see why when you see it on the screen, and I think it\u2019s my best work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley is known for his surrealist anti-capitalist stories that expose the absurdities of cultural norms. His projects are highly critical of large corporations, unfair labor practices, and the exploitation built into our economic system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His latest anti-capitalist satire, this one taking aim at fast fashion and overconsumption, is the centerpiece film of the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM<\/a>), which kicked off on April 24. The nonprofit organization behind the festival is known for its artist development program \u2014 which Riley was a part of \u2014 and for screening both independent and international films.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"IRiley speaks to press during the \u201cI Love Boosters\u201d red carpet event near Grand Lake Theatre on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\"IFrom left to right: Liu; Gonz\u00e1lez; Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner of Tune-Yards, the Oakland-based music project that has done musical scores for multiple Riley projects; Stanfield; and Riley (front) pose on the red carpet ahead of the Oakland premiere. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\"IHundreds of people lined up for one of two sold-out special screenings of \u201cI Love Boosters.\u201d Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to thank Oakland for having us here,\u201d Anne Lai, SFFILM\u2019s executive director, said before introducing the film. \u201cIt is such a big deal that we get to do our centerpiece at the beautiful Grand Lake Theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can only feel proud, mystified and provoked by all of the work that he has done as an artist, and as an activist,\u201d Lai said of Riley.<\/p>\n

A few doors down from the buzzing crowds at the theater, a roomful of journalists and photographers eagerly awaited the arrival of the cast members in attendance, who were slated to attend the 6:30 p.m. screening and participate in a Q&A afterwards.<\/p>\n

The comedy, which Riley wrote and directed, follows the velvet gang, a crew of boosters \u2014 shoplifters who sell their stolen goods from high end stores at an affordable price \u2014 led by Keke Palmer as Corvette, Naomi Ackie as Sade, and Taylour Paige as Mariah. The trio teams up with Chinese garment factory worker Jianhu, played by Poppy Liu, and a fed-up retail worker named Violeta, played by Eiza Gonz\u00e1lez. The squad unite against a common enemy, an eccentric and exploitative designer, Christie Smith, played hilariously by Oscar-nominated actress Demi Moore. Their fight isn\u2019t just against Smith, but in classic Boots Riley fashion, against the capitalist system she represents.<\/p>\n

While the movie is heavily women-dominated, Oscar-nominated actor LaKeith Stanfield \u2014 who first teamed up with Riley for his 2018 debut feature film \u201cSorry to Bother You\u201d \u2014 plays Pinky Ring Guy, a seemingly normal man whose special talent under the sheets transforms him into a monster. In the film, Pinky Ring Guy deploys his smooth talk and sultry eyes to romance Corvette.<\/p>\n

\"IStanfield holds Liu\u2019s hand as she does a split during the \u201cI Love Boosters\u201d red carpet event. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\"IGonz\u00e1lez speaks to the press before the Oakland premiere. Credit: Estefany Gonazalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

\"IStanfield talks to the press about reuniting with Riley almost a decade after the two of them first worked together for the director\u2019s feature film debut, \u201cSorry to Bother You.\u201d Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

At the red carpet, cast members had nothing but praises for the Oakland filmmaker who began his career as lead vocalist of the hip-hop group The Coup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Actress Poppy Liu showed up late to the presser and didn\u2019t get a chance to do interviews. Instead, she made her grand entrance by doing the splits on the carpet, while photographers swarmed to take photos of her smiling face.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t realize how much time has passed since \u2018Sorry to Bother You,\u2019\u201d said Stanfield of working with Riley again almost a decade later. \u201cHe hasn\u2019t changed, only that his heart has gotten bigger and his imagination as well. It\u2019s a beautiful blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gonz\u00e1lez, the Mexican actress and singer, gushed about not only how eager she was to work with Riley, but about the vision he had for Violeta, the character she plays.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I learned that there was an open character to be played, I told my team that whatever Boots was working on, I wanted to be a part of it,\u201d Gonz\u00e1lez said. \u201cI\u2019ll play tree number 24. I\u2019ll play whatever. So he called me, and explained what he wanted from the character, and I gave him my take on it. It\u2019s incredible to meet a director like Boots who believes in your vision and who pushes you to do more. I\u2019m incredibly grateful to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

By the time the screening in the main sold-out auditorium was set to begin, impatient moviegoers had already demolished their bags of popcorn as they awaited the arrival of Riley and the cast.<\/p>\n

Following the screening, Riley, Stanfield, Gonz\u00e1lez, and Liu joined a Q&A moderated by Jessie Fairbanks, the director of programming at SFFILM.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The three cast members each reflected on how they identify with Riley\u2019s social justice themes. Liu talked about how in 2024, she lost a six-year TV contract<\/a> over what she believes was her outspokenness about Palestine. Riley\u2019s script, she said, landed on her lap not long after.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople should know what she\u2019s about,\u201d Riley said about Liu. \u201cWe need to support when people make those stances.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the Q&A wrapped up, fresh crowds had assembled outside the theater to catch the next screening.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s make it or break it,\u201d Riley told moviegoers. \u201cWe gotta do amazing that first weekend!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"IThe premiere had two back-to-back sold out shows. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Riley, Stanfield and Liu headed to an after-party at CryBaby, an event put together by storyteller and filmmaker Niema Jordan, the director of Cinemama<\/a>, a group formed by Riley and other Oakland filmmakers including Cheryl Dunye, George Rush, Laura Wagner, and W. Kamau Bell to foster the Bay Area\u2019s filmmaking community.<\/p>\n

There, the trio mingled and chatted as West Oakland DJ and producer Daghe<\/a> hit the turntables, playing an eclectic mix of sounds from classic Bay tracks like E-40\u2019s \u201cTell Me When to Go\u201d and Keysha Cole\u2019s \u201cLove\u201d to \u201cTiti Me Pregunto\u201d by Bad Bunny.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels really good to be celebrating this movie here,\u201d Riley said to the crowd at the afterparty. \u201cI wanted to have a party and have everybody dance and have fun. You need to really dance Yay Area.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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