July 4th, East New York
Director: Adewale Olukayode
United States, 2025, 16 min
Shooting Format:Digital
Festival Year:2026
Category:Narrative Short
Genres:Comedy, Drama
Cast:Aaron Morton, Jaden Alexander, David Ogundipe
Crew:Writer: Adewale Olukayode. Producer: Munir Atalla.
Email:ao2638@columbia.edu
Synopsis
July 4th in East New York. Tomiwa, the 13-year-old son of a Nigerian immigrant mother, ventures out in search of fireworks against her wishes. But when he crosses into a White neighborhood with two other boys, he learns the value of community the hard way.
About the director
Adewale Olukayode is a Nigerian born, brooklyn-based filmmaker. His directing work has been awarded with the Youth Jury prize at the 2025 Aspen Shorts Film Festival, a Princess Grace Louis Srybnik Award, and was nominated for an NAACP image award. His films address themes of justice, transformation and healing. His style is influenced by African cinema, which he spoke passionately about at the College de France as a guest lecturer. He holds a MFA from Columbia University in Directing and Screenwriting. When he's not directing, you can catch him moonlighting as a comedian, telling jokes onstage at various comedy clubs in New York City.
Filmmaker's note
People look at East New York and see guns and violence. As someone who was raised in East New York, that isn' t the community I know.
I arrived in Brooklyn when I was 5 years old from Nigeria. My mother landed us in a community in East New York by the name of Spring Creek Gardens. Although we lived in an African American neighborhood, we quickly realized that African American was a spectrum, and we were on the African side. But as I grew up, I became more and more American. I came to feel a sense of pride from my community. My family and I knew everyone by name. They welcomed my Nigerian family with open arms. I was mesmerized because this predominantly Black neighborhood smiled even through the many problems faced by the neighborhood. From heavy policing at the hands of the corrupt 75th precinct to wars between neighboring housing projects, we lived in state of constant police surveillance. Despite this, my family always felt safe because this neighborhood always looked out for their own and made sure the children stayed away from harm.
This film chronicles a boy leaving his home literally figuratively and seeing how a community can come together in times of crisis.