Photo Flash: Boots Riley and Lakeith Stanfield Discuss New Film “Sorry to Bother You” with The Times's Logan Hill

Last night, TimesTalks, The New York Times live conversation and performance series, hosted a pre-release screening of the feature-length film "Sorry to Bother You," followed by an intimate Q&A between director Boots Riley and star Lakeith Stanfield in conversation with New York Times contributor Logan Hill.

The collaborators discussed life in Hollywood, the process of making the film, from writing to casting, and the differences between reality and fantasy. The talk celebrated the release of their new feature film, "Sorry to Bother You," set in an alternate version of Oakland, where Cassius Green (Stanfield) discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe.

TimesTalks, now celebrating its 20th year, is known for providing a platform for engaging and spirited discourse between the most iconic and culturally relevant creative voices of our time.

Upcoming TimesTalks include a conversation between "2 Dope Queens" hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson moderated by New York Times gender editor Jessica Bennett on July 23, and a discussion between Glenn Close and Meg Wolitzer, in conversation with the New York Times book critic Parul Sehgal on July 31.

More information about TimesTalks can be found here. Previous installments of ScreenTimes include "The Beguiled" followed by Q&A with director Sofia Coppola and Kirsten Dunst, "Ingrid Goes West" with Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen and writer-director Matt Spicer, "I, Tonya" followed by Q&A with Margot Robbie and director Craig Gillespie, "Wonderstruck" followed by Q&A with Julianne Moore and director Todd Haynes, "Call Me By Your Name" with Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg and director Luca Guadagnino, "The Shape of Water" followed by Q&A with director Guillermo Del Toro and "Tully" with Charlize Theron and director Jason Reitman.

About ScreenTimes
ScreenTimes, presented by HBO, celebrates and illuminates the most fascinating projects in film, television and video. After each screening, veteran New York Times contributor Logan Hill will host substantive conversations with the creative artists and stars who are defining this enthralling generation of art and entertainment.

About TimesTalks
TimesTalks, The New York Times live conversation and performance series, pairs The New York Times journalists with the most creative and seminal figures in the fields of film and theater, art, music, literature, innovation and fashion. In 2018, TimesTalks celebrates its 20th anniversary. For the past two decades, TimesTalks has provided a platform for engaging and spirited discourse among the most iconic and culturally relevant creative voices of our time, paying particular attention to those using the cultural arts as a lens for change.

Photos by Griffon Lipson/BFA.com