FRESH STYLES FILM NIGHT

Style Wars (Dir. Henry Chalfont & Tony Silver, 1983)

+ Q&A with New York Graffiti legend Blade 

+ film shorts:

- Planet B-Boy exclusive preview

- Crutch

- Kitchen Diaries

Fresh Styles is proud to present a new cut of this hugely influential film and welcome 'King of Trains', pionnering Graffiti Legend BLADE for a unique Q&A session after the film.

When director Tony Silver and co-producer Henry Chalfant delivered the broadcast version of their prize-winning film to PBS in 1983, the world received its first full immersion in the phenomenon that had taken over New York City. The urban landscape was physically transformed by graffiti artists who invented a new visual language to express both their individuality, and the voice of their community.

In Style Wars, New York's ramshackle subway system is their public playground, battleground, and spectacular artistic canvas. Opposing them by every means possible are Mayor Ed Koch, the police, and the New York Transit Authority. Meanwhile, as MC's, DJ's and B-boys rock the city with new sounds and new moves, we see street corner breakdance battles turn into performance art.

This groundbreaking and iconic documentary  tracks the rise and fall of subway graffiti in New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Bombing walls and painting trains since 1972, Blade is truly one of Graffiti's founding fathers. Still painting today (yes that's 35 years of continous painting) he is known for being one of the pioneers of the scene and is known to have painted more trains than any other writer in history...more than 5000!

Blade will be talking about the emergence and history of Graffiti culture, debunking myths about and giving a unqiue insight into Graffiti culture from back in the day to today's global scene.

Planet B-Boy - preview

UK exclusive preview of highly anticipated new b-boy documentary 'Planet B-Boy'. 

Tipped as one of the best films ever made about b-boy culture, Planet B-boy follows the lives of the top crews from Korea, the USA, France, Germany and other nations as they make their way to the the famous Battle of the Year in Germany, the world's largest and most revered breakdance battle event.

Director Benson Lee travels to each country going deep into the lives of the breakers, looking at their personal journeys, cultures and motivation culminating in some amazing action and powerful personel stories.

Date:  Thursday 3 May
Time:  7.45pm
Venue:  Studio Theatre (Lilian Baylis)
Tickets:  £9

Britain’s first ever film festival devoted to Hip Hop culture.

*** EXLCUSIVE BLADE LIVE GRAFF SESSION ***

Saturday 5 May 15:30 - 17:30 Sadler's Wells (in yard next to theatre)

Watch the "King of the 2 and 5 Line" paint live along with Tumki & Nash (Holland) and Bonzai (UK).  Free to watch. Numbers will be controlled to due limited space in the yard.

With thanks to Second Movement Productions.