Screening & Discussion
Passing
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 3:30pm
Little Theatre 1 (240 East Ave.)
Doors open at 3:00pm
Standard ticket prices
Tickets available online in advance, at our box office during open hours, or at the door (if tickets remain).
Accessibility at this Screening
• Open Captions
• Hearing Amplification (accessibility device or hearing loop)
• ASL Interpretation (introduction and presentation)
In 1920s New York City, a Black woman finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who’s passing as white. Starring Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, and Alexander Skarsgård.
Written and directed by Rebecca Hall, adapting Nella Larsen’s 1929 novella of the same name, and with stunning black-and-white cinematography by Eduard Grau, Passing flew under the radar in the late-pandemic era of streaming-heavy film releases, but deserves not only to be rediscovered, but to be seen on the big screen.
With a post-film panel discussion.
Rated PG-13 | 1 hr 38 min | Drama | 2021
USA, UK, Canada | English
DCP | Netflix
Meet the Panelists
Jackie McGriff (she/her/hers) is an award-winning director, published photographer and the owner of Our Voices Project, a production company committed to sharing the stories and lived experiences of Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples through visual storytelling and truthtelling. Whether through documentary filmmaking or photography, her work serves as a focal point for intersectional and cross-racial dialogue, aiming to build bridges of understanding, to view our world through a decolonized lens, and to spur action towards collective liberation.
Richard Newman is a professor of history at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the author and/or editor or seven books, including Freedom’s Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church, and the Black Founding Fathers. He has served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians and worked as a historical commentator on various PBS programs, including Dr. Henry Louis Gates’ documentary series, “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song.”
Jeffrey Allen Tucker is an associate professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of English at the University of Rochester where he teaches courses on 20th- and 21st-century American and African American literature.
Miriam Zinter wrote a Huffington Post article in 2021 that went viral about being black and being white presenting.
Co-Presenter
Rochester Speakers Series
Rochester Speakers Series (RSS), a volunteer-led, literary arts organization founded in 2024, enriches Rochester’s cultural landscape by hosting Speaking of Stories, a series of in-person talks held annually in downtown Rochester featuring nationally award-winning authors, artists, and thought-provoking voices. Our mission is to Connect diverse communities, Engage audiences with intriguing speakers, and Inspire creativity and an appreciation for the literary arts.
The inaugural 2025/2026 Speaking of Stories season will next feature Brit Bennett (The Vanishing Half, The Mothers) on April 21, 2026. A limited number of single tickets for Brit Bennett, presented in conversation with Norma Holland, are available at www.rochesterspeakers.org/tickets
Recent Comments