''B-Boy Blues'' is a 2021 American

comedy-drama film Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc. ...

written and directed by

Jussie Smollett Jussie Smollett (, born June 21, 1982) is an American actor and singer. He began his career as a child actor in 1991 debuting in '' The Mighty Ducks'' (1992). From 2015 to 2019, Smollett portrayed musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox drama series '' ...

(in his feature directorial debut) and based on James Earl Hardy's (who also co-wrote the script) 1994 book about the black LGBTQ+ community in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. The film stars Timothy Richardson and Thomas Mackie, with Landon G. Woodson,

Brandee Evans Brandee Evans is an American actress and former choreographer, best known for her leading role as Mercedes Woodbine in the Starz drama series, ''P-Valley''. Life and career Evans was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Her mother suffers from multiple ...

, Michael Jackson Jr., Marquise Vilson, Jabari Redd, Brian Lucas,

Heather B. Heather B. Gardner (born November 13, 1970), billed professionally as Heather B., is an American rapper, reality television personality, and a radio host who first gained fame as a member of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions before becomi ...

Broderick Hunter Broderick Hunter Jr. (born January 3, 1991), is an American model and actor. Hunter started his modeling career in 2011 at age of 20, after being asked to become a model for a photoshoot. He has since starred in editorials for various publicati ...

and

Ledisi Ledisi Anibade Young (; born March 28, 1972), better known simply as Ledisi, is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, author, and actress. Her name means "to bring forth" or "to come here" in Yoruba. In 1995, Ledisi formed a band afte ...

. It follows the relationship between Mitchell Crawford (Richardson), a 27-year old journalist, and Raheim Rivers (Mackie), a 21-year old bicycle messenger and

Banjee Banjee (as in: "banjee boy" or "banjee girl") is a term from ball culture describing a person embodying an urban, tough swagger. The term is mostly associated with New York City and may be Nuyorican in origin. Attitude, clothing, ethnicity, mas ...

. The film was premiered at the 2021

American Black Film Festival The American Black Film Festival (ABFF), originally called the Acalpulco Black Film Festival, is an independent film festival that focuses primarily on black film and works by black members of the film industry. The festival is held annually in ...

on November 3, 2021, receiving nominations for Best Narrative Feature and Best Director, as well won Fan Favorite Narrative Feature Award. ''B-Boy Blues'' was released by

BET+ BET+ is a Video on demand#Subscription models, streaming service operated by Tyler Perry Studios and the BET Networks, BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. The service was first announced on June 24, 2019, ...

on June 9, 2022. At the

34th GLAAD Media Awards The 34th GLAAD Media Awards is the 2023 annual presentation of the GLAAD Media Awards by GLAAD honoring 2022 films, television shows, video games, musicians and works of journalism that fairly, accurately and inclusively represent the LGBT commu ...

it received nomination for Outstanding Film – Streaming or TV.

Cast

References

External links

* {{BET+ 2021 LGBTQ-related films American LGBTQ-related films 2021 directorial debut films African-American romantic drama films Films about friendship Films shot in New York City Gay-related films 2021 independent films 2020s English-language films Films based on American novels BET+ original programming African-American LGBTQ-related films English-language independent films