The Tribeca Film Festival in New York City will host a screening of the 1991 classic “Boyz N the Hood” to honor John Singleton, who died Monday at the age of 51 after suffering a stroke.
The film is slated to screen for free on Friday evening, according to the festival organizers. Singleton, who wrote and directed “Boyz N the Hood,” was just 23 years old when it debuted.
“John Singleton accomplished what all creators strive to do,” Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal said in a statement. “He entertained but also inspired a generation of audiences.”
Singleton received a Best Director Oscar nomination for “Boyz N the Hood” in 1992, making him the youngest director and first African American ever to be nominated for that category. He also became the youngest director at the time to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
“Boyz N the Hood,” a transformative film starring Ice Cube, Angela Bassett, Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, Nia Long and Cuba Gooding Jr., centers around a group of black teenagers growing up in South Central Los Angeles.
Singleton was also known for classic films such as “Higher Learning,” “Shaft,” “Baby Boy” and “Poetic Justice.”
Singleton suffered a stroke on April 17, his family confirmed last month, and later died on April 29. Since then, celebrities, fans and loved ones have paid tribute to the acclaimed director.
Chestnut on Monday dedicated a social media post to Singleton and “Boyz N the Hood,” which was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2002.
“People from all over the world literally tell me how they’re affected by Boyz ’N The Hood,” he wrote in part. “The magnitude and world-wide impact that his ground-breaking film would have for society cannot be measured.”
“John Singleton, thank you for your vision,” he wrote. “Thank you for holding my hand a little stronger. Thank you for connecting with me and thank you for connecting me to history.”