22nd Calgary Underground Film Festival

April 17-27, 2025

12th CUFF.Docs Documentary Film Festival

November 20-24, 2024

Don't Be Nice

United States, 2018: 96 minutes: Alberta Premiere
Archives 2018
None
In Cinema Globe Cinema
Fri, Nov 30 7:00 PM Buy

description

The upstart Bowery Slam Poetry Team, made up African-American, Afro-Hispanic and queer poets, prepares for the national championships. Mentored by a demanding coach who encourages them to push past their personal boundaries and write from a place of vulnerability, pain and honesty, the poets break down, break through and compose their best work ever. Timely and difficult, their spoken word slays—but will these soul-searching pieces about police violence and the whitewashing of Black culture be able to compete against choreographed crowd-pleasers for the title? An emotional and inspiring film that gives insightful commentary on race, gender, identity and sexual politics in America today, DON'T BE NICE is both an absorbing competition doc and a vital writer's workshop.

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Hot Docs 2018
AFI 2018
Atlanta DocuFest 2018

DIRECTOR BIO 
Max Powers is a filmmaker and editor living in Brooklyn, NY. While an associate editor on the Emmy Award-winning documentary We Could Be King, Max edited the short films Big Cheat and Something Happened as well as episodes of the short series Hell Week for ESPN. Before directing DON'T BE NICE, his feature directorial debut, Max co-edited Keepers of the Game that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. He holds a film degree from Vassar College.

press for Don't Be Nice

"The poets slam truth to power and demand audiences to wake up…this film will take you to places you never expected."
- POV Magazine
"Full of ideas, riffs on current events and so much tension you'll occasionally be holding your breath."
- NOW Toronto, ***Top Ten Film of the Year

details

Documentary / Performance / Coming of Age

96 minutes

credits

Director
Max Powers

Producers
Nikhil Melnechuk
Cora Atkinson

Cinematographer
Peter Eliot Buntaine

Music
Khari Mateen

Official website:
http://dontbenicemovie.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/dontbenicemovie/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/dontbenicemovie

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/dontbenicemovie/

community

awards

Winner Festival Prize Documentary Feature Atlanta DocuFest 2018
Winner Jury Award Best Documentary Macon Film Festival 2018

Community Partners