Kevin Willmott Film Festival to honor KU professor emeritus

LAWRENCE — In honor of the Oscar winner stepping down from active teaching and taking professor emeritus status, the University of Kansas Department of Film & Media Studies has announced the Kevin Willmott Film Festival, set for Feb. 18-21, 2025, at Liberty Hall.

One of the Kansas native’s independently produced and directed films from the period before he won the 2019 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (for co-writing “BlacKkKlansman” with director Spike Lee) will be presented each day during the week of the festival:

·      7 p.m. Feb. 18: “Destination: Planet Negro” (2013)

·      7 p.m. Feb. 19: “The Only Good Indian” (2009)

·      1 p.m. Feb. 20: “Jayhawkers” (2014)

·      6:30 p.m. Feb. 21: “C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America” (2004)

Willmott and/or his special guests, including actors from the films, will introduce and talk after each film showing.

Details about guest speakers and ticket prices for the shows will follow in the new year.

“These four films, which bring underrepresented stories to the screen, led to later collaborations with director Spike Lee and ultimately won Kevin the Academy Award,” said Anna Neill, interim chair of the KU film & media studies department. “Yet neither fame nor the increasing demands on his time stopped him from telling stories that needed to be heard, including about the lives of Kansans. Nor did these demands prevent him from providing extraordinary support and mentoring to his KU students, many of whom crewed or performed in his films.”

Willmott grew up in Junction City and received a bachelor's degree in drama from Marymount College in Salina. He joined the KU faculty in 2000. His work – whether in documentary or dramatic film – has focused almost entirely on human rights and race issues.