Screening | Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

New York City born Maurice Hines is an accomplished Broadway entertainer with over 70 years in the entertainment industry. He is one of few African-Americans to have conceived, directed, and choreographed two Broadway musicals: Hot Feet (2006) and Uptown...It's Hot! (1986). The latter earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. He began his career at age five, tap dancing alongside his younger brother, Gregory. As youngsters, the Hines Brothers traveled the world.

Maurice's joie de vivre on and off stage made him a beloved friend and family member. Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back is an intimate portrait of a trailblazing entertainer who navigates the highs and lows of his lengthy showbiz career, and a complex relationship with his superstar brother. Intercuts of archival flashbacks with present-day Maurice, from age 73 to 75, friends--Chita Rivera, Mercedes Ellington and Debbie Allen--tell tales from his seven-decade career, including Broadway shows, a co-starring role in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club, and about his loving yet complex relationship with his superstar brother, the late tap dance legend Gregory Hines. Ever battling the challenges of being a gay, black man in show biz, Maurice shares his story with humor and grace. Captured are explosive bursts of tap, comedic moments, and a palpable loneliness as he grapples with growing older without his younger brother by his side. Maurice, however, is anchored by the love and support of his family and friends.

Following the screening there will be a talk back with director John Carluccio, writer and producer Tracy E. Hopkins, and special invited guests.

About the Speakers
John Carluccio is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker who is best known for documenting obscure pockets of urban society and the creative process. His documentary project Battle Sounds (1997) has a large underground following and is considered to be the first film to document the Turntablism movement in the 1990s. John's short films have aired nationally and internationally. In a 20-year span, John created over 500 short films as an on-staff producer/director for TV and digital networks including Current TV, BRIC TV, and Dubspot Music School, and for clients such as the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Native Instruments, and Sozo Artists via his production company CINQUA | Creative Documentary Agency.

Tracy E. Hopkins is an award-winning and widely published arts and entertainment journalist. With over 25 years of experience, she has interviewed hundreds of performing artists and written and reported for numerous print and digital media outlets including The Associated Press, PEOPLE, Essence, AARP, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Broadway World and Dance Business Weekly. As an editor and researcher, Tracy has worked with Time Inc., Rodale Press, Conde Nast, and T Brand Studio. Tracy has produced segments for BRIC TV and as an Associate Producer she has worked on two documentaries for Drifting Cloud Productions.