Experiences that celebrate the history of black cinema.
Meet THE
Director
Shawn Edwards is a journalist, film producer and marketing and event consultant. As a nationally recognized film critic seen on Fox 4 News (Kansas City) he has won numerous national awards including Best TV Film Critic twice by the LA Press Club's National Entertainment Journalism Awards.
PRESENTING
THE Black Movie Hall of Fame
Freshman Class Inductees
The initial inductees will feature 10 black cinema trailblazers with Kansas City roots. They will be honored by original artwork by Warren “Stylez” Harvey and will live at the Black Movie Hall of Fame at Boone Theater. Images are in no particular hierarchy.
Hattie McDaniel
Actor
Don Cheadle
Actor
Gordon Parks
Filmmaker
Tressie Souders
Filmmaker
Harry Belafonte
Actor
Kevin Willmott
Filmmaker
Janelle Monae
Actor/Singer
Chadwick Boseman
Actor
Oscar Micheaux
Filmmaker
Forest Whitaker
Actor
Meet the artist
Warren ‘Stylez’ Harvey was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. Warren also referred to as “Stylez” an alias used to denote his uniqueness has enjoyed creating art from a very young age. Warren works predominantly as a painter, using acrylic paint to illustrate his journey within. He creates to inspire and uplift himself and others. Using bright vibrant colors, to display the creativity and beauty of The Creator.
Support the Black Movie Hall of fame
If you’d like to help support the launch of the Black Movie Hall of Fame, please consider a donation to our GoFundMe using the link below. Your contribution will help fund the creation of our multi-media experience, including film series, lectures, concerts and much more.
About our future home
Boone Theater
returning 2023
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The Boone Theater project, located at 1701 E. 18th Street, is an exciting historic preservation venture reimagining the 1924 structure into an epicenter of high culture in Kansas City's Vine District.
Sitting across the street from the Gem Theater and the American Jazz and Negro Leagues Baseball Museums, "The Boone" will house digital media labs, dinner theaters, The Black Movie Hall of Fame, The Black Repertory Theater of Kansas City ("BRTKC"), The Gem Theater Cultural Foundation, amongst others.
The Vine Street Collaborative team is excited to reweave this project into the broader fabric of the historic Vine District.
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The Boone Theater originally opened as 'The New Rialto Theater' in 1924 and in 1929 was renamed 'The Boone Theater' after John 'Blind' Boone, a black pianist prodigy from Mid-Missouri. In 1940, it was renamed yet again as the 'Scott Theater', showing live theater and movies.
In the 50s, it was converted as the National Guard Armory and housed the all black 242nd Engineering Battalion. It was then closed in the 60s and has been unused since. Today, the Vine Street Collaborative team plans to redevelop The Boone as a center for high culture while also honoring it's significant past.