AMC celebrates Juneteenth with $5 screenings of iconic Black-led films
AMC Theatres is screening seminal movies directed by Black filmmakers for $5 in honor of Juneteenth, which recently became a federal holiday.
As part of its "$5 Fan Faves" series, the cinema chain is showing Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight," Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing," Gina Prince-Bythewood's "Love & Basketball" and other beloved titles at select theaters from June 18-24.
Rounding out the "AMC Black Picture Showcase Celebrating Juneteenth" lineup are Malcolm D. Lee's "Barbershop: The Next Cut," David Oyelowo's "The Water Man," Kasi Lemmons' "Harriet" and Denzel Washington's "Fences." The screenings are divided into three categories: Black Changemakers, Black Cinema and Black Joy.
“This is a proud and historic moment for AMC, that could not have happened without the influence of our African American associates who used their voices to underscore the importance of honoring Juneteenth as a bedrock of American history,” said Adam Aron, CEO and president of AMC Theatres, in a statement.
“This opportunity is a celebration of the impact and accomplishments of African Americans in cinema. It is nothing less than a privilege for AMC to showcase their extraordinary talent.”
Los Angeles theater locations participating in the "Black Picture Showcase" include the AMC Burbank 16, AMC Ontario Mills 30, AMC Orange 30, AMC Fullerton 20, AMC Norwalk 20, AMC Puente Hills 20, AMC Rolling Hills 20, AMC Universal CityWalk Hollywood 19, AMC Del Amo 18, AMC Covina 17, AMC Galleria At South Bay 16, AMC Promenade 16, AMC Santa Anita 16 and AMC Tyler 16.
Among the other California cinemas offering Juneteenth programming are Sacramento's AMC Manteca 16; San Diego's AMC Palm Promenade 14, AMC Fashion Valley 18 and AMC Mission Valley 20; and San Francisco's AMC Eastridge 15, AMC Bay Street 16, AMC Metreon 16 and AMC Mercado 20.
AMC's "Black Picture Showcase" comes on the heels of a historic week during which President Biden signed into law a bill advocating to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Long observed annually throughout the United States on June 19, Juneteenth commemorates the end of American slavery.
The date marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, the day Union soldiers informed enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, of their legal freedom, two months after the Confederacy surrendered in the Civil War and more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Below is the complete schedule for AMC's "Black Picture Showcase." Specific showtimes can be found on the AMC website.
June 18
"Do the Right Thing"
"Harriet"
June 19
"The Water Man"
"Fences"
"Moonlight"
June 20
"Barbershop: The Next Cut"
"Love & Basketball"
June 21
"Fences"
June 22
"Love & Basketball"
June 23
"Harriet"
June 24
"Moonlight"
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
