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Spike Lee

About Me

Spike Lee's Extended JOINTOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, BA 1979
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, MFA FILM PRODUCTION 1982
NAMED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT NYU TISH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 2002

FEATURE FILMS

MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA 2008
INSIDE MAN 2006
SHE HATE ME 2004
25Th HOUR 2002
BAMBOOZLED 2000
THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY 2000
SUMMER OF SAM 1999
HE GOT GAME 1998
GET ON THE BUS 1996
GIRL 6 1996
CLOCKERS 1995
CROOKLYN 1994
MALCOLM X 1992
JUNGLE FEVER 1991
MO’ BETTER BLUES 1990
DO THE RIGHT THING 1989
SCHOOL DAZE 1988
SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT 1986

DOCUMENTARIES

HBO: “When the Levees Broke” 2006
HBO: “Jim Brown-All American” 2002
HBO: "4 Little Girls" 1997

TV SPECIALS

SHOWTIME: “Sucker Free City” 2003
BET/STARZ: “A Huey P. Newton Story” 2001
PBS: “Pavarotti & Friends” Great Performances 1999
PBS: “Pavarotti & Friends” Great Performances 1998
HBO: “FREAK” John Leguizamo a one man Broadway show 1998

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA 2004
GOOD FENCES 2003
3 AM 2001
LOVE N’ BASKETBALL 2000
THE BEST MAN 1999
TALES FROM THE HOOD 1995
NEW JERSEY DRIVE 1995
DROP SQUAD 1994

MUSIC VIDEOS

LIZZ WRIGHT: OPEN YOUR EYES, YOU CAN FLY 2003
WE ARE FAMILY: NILE ROGER & FRIENDS 2001
MAU MAU’S: BLAK IZ BLAK 2000
PUBLIC ENEMY: HE GOT GAME 1998
CURTIS MAYFIELD: NEW WORLD ORDER 1996
MICHAEL JACKSON: THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT US 1996
CHAKA KHAN: LOVE ME STILL 1995
BRUCE HORNSBY: SWING STREET 1995
CROOKLYN DODGERS: RETURN OF THE CROOKLYN DODGERS 1995
MCAT: OH MY PRECIOUS 1994
BRANFORD MARSALIS: BREAKFAST AT DENNY’S 1994
MARC DORSEY: PEOPLE MAKE THE WORLD GO AROUND 1994
CROOKLYN DODGERS: CROOKLYN 1994
EROS RAMIZOTTI: COSE DELLA VITA 1993
GURU: LOUNGIN 1993
BRUCE HORNSBY: TALK OF THE TOWN 1993
NAUGHTY BY NATURE: HIP HOP HURRAY 1992
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: REVOLUTION 1992
STATE OF ART: BEATING HEART 1992
STATE OF ART: LAUGHING AT THE YEARS 1992
PRINCE: MONEY DON’T MATTER 1992
STEVIE WONDER: MAKE SURE YOU’RE SURE 1992
STEVIE WONDER: GOTTA HAVE YOU 1991
STEVIE WONDER: JUNGLE FEVER 1991
THE HOME BOY PROJECT: DO YOUR DANCE 1991
FISHBONE: SUNLESS SATURDAY 1991
CYNDA WILLIAMS: HARLEM BLUES 1990
GANGSTARR: JAZZ THING 1990
E.U.: BUCK WILD 1989
PUBLIC ENEMY: FIGHT THE POWER 1989
PERRI SISTERS: FEEL SO GOOD 1989
E.U.: DA BUTT 1988
THE RAYS: BE ALONE TONIGHT 1988
PHYLISS HYMAN: BE ONE 1988
KEITH JOHN: I CAN ONLY BE ME 1988
STEEL PULSE: REACHIN OUT 1988
ANITA BAKER: NO ONE IN THE WORLD 1987
SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT: NOLA 1986
MILES DAVIS: TUTU MELEDY 1986
BRANFORD MARSALIS: ROYAL GARDENS 1986

SHORT FILMS

UNICEF: JESUS CHILDREN OF AMERICA 2005
NY YANKEES: COME RAIN OR SHINE/CONCERT FOR NEW YORK CITY 2001
WE WUZ ROBBED: 10 MINUTES OLDER 2001
PROGRESSIVE NETWORKS: THE CRAFT OF ACTING 1997
PROGRESSIVE NETWORKS: COMPUTER WIZ 1997
PROGRESSIVE NETWORKS: DANCE 1997
HBO: REAL SPORTS “JOHN THOMPSON” COACH 1995
HBO: IRON MIKE TYSON 1991
MTV: FIVE ONE-MINUTE SPOTS 1989
HORN OF PLENTY: SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE 1986

STUDENT FILMS

(NEW YORK UNIVERSITY)
JOE’S BED-STUY BARBERSHOP: WE CUT HEADS 1982 (THESIS)
SARAH 1981
THE ANSWER 1980

COMMERCIALS

JORDAN 20-2005
PEPSI – DINER 2004
PEPSI – RECORD STORE 2004
TNT-NBA PROMOS 2003
MICROSOFT-WRISTWATCH 2003
NIKE-YES MARS 2003
UNCF-NEIGHBORHOOD/SCHEDULE 2003
STATE FARM- DINNER TIME/HOT TIP/BABY TALK 2003
PEPSI-CODE RED AND 1 BALLERS 2003
PEPSI-BEYONCE 2003
STATE FARM-DINNER TIME/BARBER SHOP 2002
COORS-SIR CHARLES RAP 2002
SPRITE -KOBE BRYANT CAMPAIGN 2002
KMART-SPRING/SUMMER CAMPAIGNS 2002
JORDAN 17 CAMPAIGN 2002
YOU IN: NEW YORK KNICKS/MSG CAMPAIGN 2001
NEW ORDER/X-TYPE: JAGUAR 2001
ABC PROMO BLACK HISTORY 2001
TELECOM ITALIA: MANDELA 2000
NFL PLAYOFFS CAMPAIGN: YOU GOTTA SHOW ME SOMETHING 2000
IAM.COM 2000
McDONALD’S INDUSTRIAL 2000
STATE FARM 2000
COMPAQ 2000
JAGUAR 2000
TELECOM ITALIA 2000
ECKO 2000
IAM.COM 2000
ABC PROMO 2000
UNITED NEGRO COLLEGE FUND 1999
NAVY SEAL 1999
FINLANDIA: SIN 1998
SWATCH: WAKE UP! 1998
THE MIAMI HEAT 1998
NHL: REV 1998
BUDWEISER: EXPLANATION 1998
HBO: 4 LITTLE GIRLS & ROSEWOOD PREMIERE PROMO 1998
NEW ERA: PROUD PLAYER 1998
CLEARASIL: THE DANCE 1998
SOFT SHEEN: ALTERNATIVE-HAIR JONES 1997
FOX SPORTS: STAR-INTERVIEWS 1997
FOX SPORTS: STAR-GAME FILM 1997
FOX SPORTS: STAR-LAPS 1997
OPEL CORSA 1997
FINISH LINE: HUDDLE 1997
FINISH LINE: TIME OUT 1997
FINISH LINE: CHOOSING SIDES 1997
SHOWTIME: THE SOUND & THE FURY 1997
PHILIPS: THE CROWD 1997
SHOWTIME: CHANCES ARE 1996
DAVID BLAINE 1996
UNCF-MICHEAL JORDAN 1996
NIKE: SWOOPES 1996
UNCF-EDWIN MOSES/ANHEUSER BUSCH 1996
SNAPPLE 1996
NIKE: REGGIE MILLER 1996
NIKE: LI’L PENNY / TYRA BANKS 1996
NIKE: LI’L PENNY / SPIKE LEE 1996
NY TIMES 1995
RED STRIPE 1995
NIKE: PICK-UP GAME 1995
TACO BELL: SHAQUILLE O’NEAL & HAKEEM OLAJOWON 1995
NIKE: MIKE & SPIKE 1995
AMERICAN EXPRESS: CHARGE AGAINST HUNGER 1995
SWATCH WEDDING 1995
SMOOTH ICE CREAM: BEN & JERRY’S 1994
MASCOT: ESPN 2 1993
TUCKED ESPN 1993
3 POINT LINE: ESPN 2 1993
DORM 1-800-OPERATOR: AT&T 1993
GIRLS NIGHT OUT: AT&T 1993
URBAN JUNGLE GYM: NIKE 1992
IS IT DA’ SHOES AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1991
LEVI’S 501: BUTTERFLY JEANS SERIES 1991
EN VOGUE: DIET COKE 1991
GENIE/ AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1991
STAY IN SCHOOL/ AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1991
FLIGHT SCHOOL/ AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1991
LEVI’S BUTTON FLY JEANS SERIES: LEVI’S 1990
OPINIONS/ AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1990
RAPPIN/AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1989
CAN...CAN’T /AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1989
NOLA AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1989
HANG TIME/ AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1988
COVER/ AIR JORDAN: NIKE 1988
CHARLES BARKLEY: NIKE 1988
JESSE JACKSON DRUGS: NEW YORK STATE PRIMARY 1988

BOOKS

PLEASE, PUPPY, PLEASE: CO-AUTHOR TONYA LEWIS LEE 2005
PLEASE, BABY, PLEASE: CO-AUTHOR TONYA LEWIS LEE- 2002
BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: A BASKETBALL MEMOIR 1997
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY: THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF MAKING MALCOLM X 1993
5 FOR 5 1992
MO’ BETTER BLUES 1991
DO THE RIGHT THING: A SPIKE LEE JOINT 1990
UPLIFT THE RACE: THE CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL DAZE 1989
SPIKE LEE’S GOTTA HAVE IT: INSIDE GUERRILLA FILMMAKING 1988

HONARARY DEGREES

LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY 2007
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 2001
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY 1998
PRATT INSITUTE 1997
EMERSON COLLEGE 1997
BROOKLYN COLLEGE 1997

JOINTOGRAPHY
Miracle at St. Anna
(2008)
Inside Man
(2006)
She Hate Me
(2004)
25th Hour
(2002)
Bamboozled
(2000)
The Original Kings of Comedy
(2000)
Summer of Sam
(1999)
He Got Game
(1998)
Get On The Bus
(1998)
Girl 6
(1996)
Clockers
(1995)
Crooklyn
(1994)
Malcolm X
(1992)
Jungle Fever
(1991)
Mo' Better Blues
(1990)
Do The Right Thing
(1989)
School Daze
(1988)
She's Gotta Have It
(1986)ABOUT ME
I’m a writer-director, producer, author, educator—but I’m not like most filmmakers. Film chose me, not the other way around. Once I got chosen I always wanted to build a body of work, so I’ve been doing one film a year since 1985.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, I was born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, the son of William James Edwards Lee and Jaqueline Shelton Lee. My mother nicknamed me Spike. We moved to Brooklyn when I was 2: Crown Heights, then Cobble Hill, then a great Brooklyn brownstone in ‘68. Brooklyn is and always will be home.

I’m the product of New York City public schools—I went to PS 29, 7 and 8, attended junior high school 294 and John Dewey High School on Coney Island, graduating in ‘75.

I’m a third-generation Morehouse man—both my father and grandfather went there, so did Dr. King. My mother and grandmother went to Spellman College. Actually, it was my grandmother Zimmie Reatha Shelton, public school art teacher for 50 years and a diligent saver, who put me through Morehouse, where I earned a BA in Mass Communications, and NYU, where I attended film school.

In 1979, I received my masters in fine arts in film production. My thesis film, “Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barber Shop: We Cut Heads” won the student Academy Award in 1982. It gave me my first taste of notoriety.

My Blog

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