Virginia Film Festival

Bayard Rustin, architect of the 1963 March on Washington, was one of America’s great activists, organizers, and towering personas. Despite orchestrating the iconic event—best remembered as the site of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech—his contributions and legacy have all too often become overlooked.

In Rustin, Tony Award winning director George C. Wolfe (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) shines a long overdue spotlight on the story of the brilliant, outspoken, and openly gay civil rights activist. Set in the months leading up to the March—when Rustin was widely considered the only tactician capable of turning the event from dream to reality—the narrative captures a movement in flux, and a true leader rising to a historic challenge.

In a towering, vivacious performance, Emmy Award winner Colman Domingo (Euphoria) captures the life of a man who confronted racism, homophobia, and even ostracism from NAACP, and overcame to rally a movement to political success, alongside Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker. Produced by Academy Award winner Bruce Cohen, in association with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground, Rustin features an all-star ensemble including Chris Rock, Audra McDonald, Glynn Turman,  Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Jeffrey Wright.

Discussion with producer Bruce Cohen and Kevin K. Gaines (UVA).