Don't Be Nice

The upstart Bowery Slam Poetry Team, made up of five young African-American, Afro-Hispanic and queer poets, prepares for the national championships. Mentored by a demanding coach who pushes them past their personal boundaries to write from a painfully honest place, the poets break down, break through, and ultimately write their masterpiece. Will their soul-searching pieces about police violence and the whitewashing of Black culture be able to compete against choreographed crowd-pleasers for the title?

WINS
Best Documentary, Macon Film Festival
Best Documentary Feature, Atlanta DocuFest
Jim Ewing Young Director Award, Port Townsend Film Festival
Best Director, River Bend Film Festival
Audience Favorite, Roxbury International Film Festival
Best Documentary, Vail Film Festival
Best Documentary Feature, Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival

NOMINATIONS
Best Documentary, BronzeLens Film Festival
John Schlesinger Award, Palm Springs International Film Festival