UTA Celebrates Titus Kaphar And His Film Exhibiting Forgiveness With Co-Host Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter & Stars André Holland, John Earl Jelks, and Andra Day

Jul 16

This evening, UTA and Tariq “Black Thought'' Trotter of The Roots hosted an intimate gathering at New York’s iconic Whitby Hotel in celebration of UTA client Titus Kaphar and the esteemed visual artist’s debut feature film, Exhibiting Forgiveness, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to critical acclaim and was acquired by Roadside Attractions for a Fall 2024 release. The film was also included in Film at Lincoln Center’s New Directors/New Films festival in April. Kaphar – who is a MacArthur Fellow and one of Variety's Top 10 Directors to Watch of 2024 – is represented by UTA across multiple areas.

The event – which brought together artists, filmmakers, educators, thought leaders, and industry professionals of all disciplines – began with an advance special screening and was followed by a conversation moderated by GMA3’s DeMarco Morgan with Kaphar, Trotter, and the film’s cast including André Holland, John Earl Jelks, and Andra Day.

Exhibiting Forgiveness, which is partly based on Kaphar’s own experiences, follows a Black artist whose path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. While discussing the inception of the project during the Q&A, Kaphar remarked “I started this process because I wanted to find a way to communicate with my two sons about how different my life is from theirs.” On Kaphar’s venture into the world of filmmaking after an established career as a visual artist, Trotter noted “This may have been your first time working in this specific medium, but you’re not a first-time storyteller. Storytelling is storytelling.” The evening continued with a reception, as guests buzzed about the film, honoring Kaphar’s accomplishments, while music by Trotter and Day (who has an original song featured in the film) played in the background.

Notable attendees of the event included Alex Mallis (Filmmaker), Tom Hoover (Former NBA Player), Derek Cianfrance (Producer, Exhibiting Forgiveness), Claire Brooks D'Oench (Executive Producer, Exhibiting Forgiveness), Pauline Willis (Director, American Federation of Arts), Naomi Beckwith (Curator, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum), Lily James Olds (Director, TED Fellows), Sarah Eaton (VP of Marketing & Communications, Film at Lincoln Center), Michael Field (Board Member, Brooklyn Museum), Saundra Williams-Cornwell (Board Member, Brooklyn Museum), and Bridgid Coulter Cheadle (Founder, Blackbird House).

UTA representatives in attendance included Julian Jacobs (Partner, Co-Head of Entertainment & Culture Marketing and Head of UTA NY), Harrison Tenzer (Senior Director, UTA Fine Arts and Artist Space), Albert Lee (Partner & Agent, Publishing), Nancy Gates (Partner & Agent, TV Talent), Michele James (Partner & Co-Head, UTA Executive Search), Roysi Erbes (Partner & Co-Head, UTA Executive Search), Rebecca Gradinger (Agent, Publishing), and Yasmine Pearl (Agent, Talent).