Don't be nice

PRESS

A feature documentary film from Radio Drama Network is the story of the upstart Bowery Slam Poetry Team, made up of five young African-American, Afro-Hispanic and queer poets, preparing for the national championships. As their coach pushes them past their personal boundaries to write from a painfully honest place, the poets break down, break through, and ultimately write their masterpiece.

A team of young New York City Slam Poets finds its voice as it competes for the National Championship during the summer of 2016.

The upstart Bowery Slam Poetry Team, made up of five African-American, Afro-Hispanic and queer poets in their 20s, 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? Will opting to make a statement instead of a show spell their defeat? 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 that proves once and for all that winning hearts and minds is the ultimate prize.—Angie Driscoll, Hot Docs

Don’t Be Nice is about the upstart Bowery Slam Poetry Team, made up of five African-American, Afro-Hispanic and queer poets in their 20s, as they prepare for the national championships. Join Don’t Be Nice director Max Powers, editor/story producer David Lieberman, composer Khari Mateen, executive producer Melina Brown and producer Nikhil Melnechuk as Film Threat hosts a watch party for this remarkable documentary that won the Award This! prize for Socially Relevant Doc in 2020.