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The eagerly awaited fourth season of Godfather of Harlem will be making its big premiere at the 27th annual Sarasota Film Festival (SFF), where it will be featured as the centerpiece screening.
The first two episodes of the Forest Whitaker-led MGM+ series will screen at the festival, held between April 4 and April 14 in Florida.
Co-creator Chris Brancato will be awarded the Innovation in Television Award, and actor Rome Flynn, who plays gangster Frank Lucas in season two, will be awarded the SFF Rising Star Award as confirmed by Variety.
The festival will feature 17 narrative features, 20 documentary features, and 41 shorts.
Mark Famiglio, board president and chairman of SFF stated:
“With Hollywood taking notice of the state’s new production incentives and more filmmakers setting their sights on Florida, it’s clear that our state is becoming a destination for storytelling, innovation, and opportunity,”
There will also be high-profile screenings such as Oscar-nominated animated shorts and a series of independent films.
What to expect from Godfather of Harlem Season 4?
Season 4 of Godfather of Harlem is set to be a thrilling experience in the form of Bumpy Johnson's (Forest Whitaker) brutal struggle for dominance in Harlem during the 1960s. Pitted against the Mafia, Johnson has to also contend with the arrival of Frank Lucas (Rome Flynn), one of the most infamous gangsters who will challenge his stranglehold on the narcotics business.
The season is set against the backdrop of Malcolm X (Jason Alan Carvell) having been assassinated, and Elise (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy), the daughter of Bumpy, having become very engaged in the Black Panther movement.
The show's historical accuracy has attracted a dedicated following and critical success. Executive producer Chris Brancato, who has worked on Narcos, brings extensive experience in developing crime dramas.
Brancato said during a 2019 Variety interview:
“What interested us most was the idea that what we would do through the show was explore the collision of crime and civil rights in early-’60s Harlem with an eye towards contemporary themes like police brutality, drug addiction, gang warfare, the situation in the ghetto.”
With Swizz Beatz as the executive music producer, the soundtrack will again be an integral part of the show's immersive culture.
The significance of Godfather of Harlem at SFF 2025
The decision to premiere Godfather of Harlem at SFF reinforces the festival's dedication to presenting innovative television in addition to indie films and documentaries.
SFF recognizes the show's contribution to modern television and its power to merge entertainment with historical fiction by celebrating Brancato and Flynn.
In line with the programming of the festival, the audience will be given a rare chance to view the first two episodes on the big screen before its television airing on MGM+. This compliments SFF's vision of promoting groundbreaking storytelling and offering audiences rare cinematic experiences.
With its cast, storylines, and historical richness, Godfather of Harlem Season 4 of this acclaimed show is set to entertain both festival audiences and die-hard fans.
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After its world premiere at SFF, Godfather of Harlem Season 4 will be streaming exclusively on MGM+.
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