About this Event
Socrates Sculpture Park is pleased to announce the return of Outdoor Cinema, the Park’s beloved summer film series. For more than two decades, Outdoor Cinema has brought neighbors together through film and shared cultural experiences, reflecting the rich diversity of Queens and the spirit of exchange and belonging at the heart of Socrates. This year, the series returns as a two-night pilot program, continuing a longstanding Park tradition while exploring a renewed approach to Outdoor Cinema for the years ahead.
This year’s program presents films exploring artists, communities, and cultural histories, complemented by food and live performance that connect audiences to the cultural contexts of each film. Each evening will feature New York City food vendors offering dishes connected to the communities and traditions represented on screen, alongside musicians and performers responding to the artists, histories, and creative traditions at the heart of each screening.
Outdoor Cinema continues with Jean-Michel Basquiat, a new documentary exploring the life, work, and cultural world of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The film traces Basquiat’s emergence in 1980s New York and the creative communities, friendships, music, and cultural forces that surrounded and shaped his practice.
Before the screening, New York-based artist and musician L’Rain will present a special ambient set inspired by the sounds of Basquiat’s New York, drawing from the experimental jazz, no wave, hip-hop, and downtown music scenes that formed the sonic landscape of the era. The evening’s food program will feature Haitian cuisine, reflecting Basquiat’s Caribbean roots and extending the cultural context of the film beyond the screen.
Outdoor Cinema is made possible by the generosity of the Socrates Sculpture Park Ambassadors, Community Council, and hundreds of neighbors and supporters who believe in the power of art, culture, and shared public space to bring people together.
About the Film
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT is a reclamation of what has been lost in the legacy of a globally renowned artist. Through untold memories from his family, never-before-seen works, and rare archival imagery, this film demystifies the story of Basquiat and discovers the man behind it all, Jean-Michel.
Nearly four decades after his untimely death at age 27, Jean-Michel Basquiat is now one of history’s most celebrated artists. His work has been exhibited in every major art museum; it appears on everything from murals across the world, to clothing and personal tattoos. But while his legacy is everywhere you look, parts of his life have been distilled into archetypes, elements of his upbringing omitted, and his story predominantly framed by the fine art marketplace. In JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, Basquiat’s sisters, Lisane and Jeanine, lead an intimate and comprehensive portrait of their brother. Drawing on personal archives, never-before-seen works, and many voices of those who knew him best, this film illuminates the truth directly from the Basquiat family and allows Jean-Michel to finally guide his own story.
About the Directors
Quinn Whitney Wilson is a NYC-based Creative and Film Director known for blending nostalgia, bold color, and camp to champion authentic representations of queerness and Blackness. A longtime collaborator of Lizzo, Wilson has directed campaigns, music videos, documentaries, and episodic work for Billie, Calvin Klein, King Princess, Showtime’s ZIWE, Marvel’s MPower, and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her work has appeared in Vogue, Pitchfork, Fader, and Dazed. She directed King Pleasure, the first documentary approved by the Basquiat Estate and the first about him directed by a person of color.
Viridiana Lieberman is a director and editor whose award-winning work includes the Oscar-nominated The Perfect Neighbor and Emmy-winning The Sentence, I Am Evidence, and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power. She co-directed and edited Jean-Michel, which premiered at Tribeca 2026 and won the editing award. Her directorial debut, Born To Play, premiered on ESPN and ABC. Her work has earned an ACE Eddie, Cinema Eye, and Critics Choice Documentary Award.
About the Performer
L’Rain is the musical project of Brooklyn-born multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and curator Taja Cheek. Moving between experimental music, art, and performance, Cheek creates work that draws from R&B, pop, noise, jazz, and electronic music while exploring identity, community, and contemporary life. Her acclaimed albums include L’Rain (2017), Fatigue (2021), I Killed Your Dog (2023), and fata morgana (2026). Cheek is currently Artistic Director of Performance Space New York and has previously curated programs with Creative Time, the High Line, MoMA PS1, and the Whitney Biennial.
About Rooftop Films
Rooftop Films transforms public spaces into dynamic cultural hubs, bringing vibrant film experiences to communities with limited access to the arts. By connecting the works of emerging filmmakers to wider audiences, we strengthen community bonds, spark meaningful dialogue, and amplify underrepresented voices that deserve to be heard. For more information visit their website.
Event venue & nearby stays
Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Boulevard, Queens, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.