HIFF28 Closing Night: ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…

We’re thrilled to announce that our Closing Night Film for HIFF28 is Regina King’s directorial debut ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…, starring Eli Goree, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom, Jr. and Aldis Hodge.

Based on the award-winning play of the same name, the film tells the story of one evening in 1964 when four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

To dive deeper into the film—and into his stellar career—we look forward to welcoming Tony Award® winner Leslie Odom, Jr., who plays legendary singer Sam Cooke in the film, to our iconic A Conversation With… series. Odom, Jr. originated the role of Aaron Burr in the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton, and he recently starred in the new Apple TV+ animated musical-comedy series Central Park, for which he received an Emmy nomination, and in the limited Freeform series Love in the Time of Corona.

“We have long admired the work of Regina King—throughout the years she has given phenomenal and groundbreaking performances, and we look forward to being able to now spotlight her craft and skill behind the camera with her directorial debut,” said HIFF Artistic Director David Nugent. “The festival is also thrilled to welcome Leslie Odom, Jr., whose artistry and talent is unparalleled, for our ‘A Conversation With…’ series.”


ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…

Closing Night Film
dir. Regina King (USA), 2020

On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gather to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali, (Eli Goree), defeats heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall, Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).

Based on the award-winning play of the same name, ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI… is a fictional account inspired by the historic night these four formidable figures spent together. It looks at the struggles these men faced and the vital role they each played in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 1960s. More than 40 years later, their conversations on racial injustice, religion, and personal responsibility still resonate. An Amazon Studios release. S

Closing Night sponsored by

A Conversation With Leslie Odom, Jr.

Leslie Odom, Jr. is a multifaceted Tony and Grammy Award-winning performer. Best known for his breakout role as ‘Aaron Burr’ in the smash hit Broadway musical Hamilton, (Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, Grammy Award as a principal soloist), he made his Broadway debut in Rent at the age of 17. Previous film and television credits include HARRIET, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, RED TAILS, and Smash, and upcoming films include ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…, MUSIC, NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK, and THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK. Odom Jr. can currently be seen in the filmed performance of “Hamilton” on Disney+ and in the limited series Love in the Time of Corona on Freeform, and he received an Emmy nomination for his work in the new animated series Central Park on Apple TV.

In 2017, Odom Jr. returned to the NYC stage in a solo, cabaret-style concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center, which was broadcast on PBS. His solo releases include a self-titled debut album, the holiday album Simply Christmas, and his first album of original material, entitled Mr. 2018 saw the release of his first book, Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher and Never Stop Learning.

A Conversation With… sponsored by


The 28th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival will take place October 8–14, 2020. HIFF thanks corporate supporters for this year’s festival Netflix, The Seltzer Group at JP Morgan, Apple Original Films, Silvercup Studios and official media sponsors WNBC, The East Hampton Star, and The Purist, and is grateful for the long-term support from NYSCA and Suffolk County.

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