Born March 20, 1957 in Atlanta is a director, television producer, writer, actor. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenwriter in 2019, the George Polk Award in 2006, the César d’honneur in 2003, Picture Awards, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Primetime Emmy Award. He made his first film in 1983 titled (Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads), then made several famous films such as Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, The Original Kings of Comedy, 25th Hour, Inside and Chi- Raq. Lee appeared as an actor in several of his films which dealt with racial discrimination, the role of the media in contemporary life, crime, poverty and many political issues. His mother Jacqueline Carroll is a professor of art and literature, and his father William James Edward Lee, was a musician. He has three younger brothers who have all worked with him on his films. Her family moved to Brooklyn when he attended John Dewey High School in Brooklyn and Morehouse College, a historic former college where he made his first movie, Last Hustle in Brooklyn. He also took film classes at Clark University in Atlanta, then studied at New York University in the art department and earned a master’s degree in film art and television programming.
He worked at Harvard University as an instructor in a film class, and to teach at New York University.
This year, Spike Lee will chair the jury of the 74th Cannes Film Festival ceremony.
