Night School Starring Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish Premieres in NYC on Opening Night of the Urbanw

The Urbanworld Film Festival kicked off last night in NYC at the SVA Theater on 23rd street. The festival opened by premiering the much anticipated Night School which stars Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish. The media frenzy event was attended by the movie's stars and a host of other celebrities that included Fat Joe, Mack Wilds, viral sensation The Shiggy Show, Elaine Welteroth, along with the films' director Malcolm D. Lee and producer Will Packer.

The five day film festival seeks to promote diversity and inclusion in the media, showcases independent films and documentaries by Black, Latino, & Asian filmmakers. In its 22nd year, the festival has helped catapult the careers of some of Hollywood's most successful filmmakers like Night School's Malcolm D. Lee who screened his first film, The Best Man, at Urbanworld in 1999. On why he thinks the Urbanworld Film Festival is necessary, Malcolm had this to say: "I've been here from the beginning. Since 1997 when it first started out. When I saw Soul Foul being premiered here and Hoodlum. Two years later I was able to debut The Best Man as a work in progress and it was this audience that helped propel it from there. From email campaigns to making it number 1 in the box office." - Malcolm D. Lee

Despite the success of films like Girls Trip and Crazy Rich Asians there is still a lack of minority representation in Hollywood. When asked on how to get the big studios interested in your film Will Packer kept it short and sweet:

"Get into your audience. Go out and show that people will consume your content. If you do that, we will come. Hollywood will come knocking down your door if you're able to go out and show that you can create content that an audience will consume." -Will Packer

The film premiered to a sold out crowd. There wasn't one empty seat in that theater and before the film started peep what Kevin Hart had to say about opportunities for people of color, celebrating our wins, and the responsibility the press and media has when it comes to reporting:

The film festival lasts through Sunday, September 23rd. There are 69 films being screened and tickets are still available. If you're interested in attending any of the screenings head over to www.urbanworld.org for tickets and passes.