CAAM Cinema: A Huey P. Newton Story at CAAM

The California African American Museum is turning its evening into a movie night with a conversation attached. On Wednesday, October 28, CAAM Cinema screens A Huey P. Newton Story, the 2001 film from director Spike Lee, and follows it with a talk featuring performer Roger Guenveur Smith and producer Steven Adams. It is a strong pick if you are building a list of things to do in Los Angeles that goes a little deeper than the usual weeknight options.

When: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Where: California African American Museum, 600 State Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037 Price: Free

About the film

Huey P. Newton was born in Louisiana, moved to Oakland, California, as an infant, and went on to co-found and lead the Black Panther Party for more than twenty years. The film was Spike Lee and Roger Guenveur Smith's seventh project together. It adapts Smith's Obie Award-winning solo stage production, and it was recorded in front of a live audience. Rather than a conventional biography, it blends that live performance with historical newsreels and archival media to capture Newton's ideas and spirit.

Why this screening, and why now

The listing frames the night as a double anniversary: 25 years since the film was made, and 60 years since the founding of the Black Panther Party. The screening is described as exclusive, and the conversation afterward is the draw. Smith, who carried the original stage piece, and Adams, who produced the film, will discuss how the project came together. Expect questions about adapting a solo theater work for the screen and about how archival footage shapes the story. The listing does not publish a moderator or a detailed program, so treat that as the general shape of the evening.

Planning your visit

CAAM sits in Exposition Park, a short walk from the other museums on State Drive. The event page lists the evening as free, but it does not mention RSVP rules or seating limits, so check the Discover Los Angeles page before you go and arrive early in case seating is first come, first served. Parking in Exposition Park is paid in most lots, and the Metro E Line stops nearby if you would rather skip the drive.

If you are scanning for upcoming events Los Angeles has on the calendar this week, this one pairs a landmark film with the people who made it, and a museum setting that suits the subject. Details come from the official listing, so confirm the time on the event page if plans change.