Spike Lee has established himself as one of Hollywood and New York's most important and influential filmmakers of the past decade. Spike has completed his 11th film, Summer of Sam, which opened to rave reviews. This movie follows some of his most critically acclaimed films, Girl 6, Malcolm X, Clockers and Do The Right Thing. In 1986, his debut film, the independently produced comedy She's Gotta Have It, earned him the Prix de Jeunesse Award at the Cannes Film festival and set him at the forefront of the Black Wave in American Cinema.

	Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Spike returned south to attend Morehouse College. After graduation, he moved north to continue his education at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, in Manhattan, where he received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in film production. Lee then founded 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks based in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, his childhood neighborhood. Spike also created a record label, 40 Acres and a Mule Musicworks and a retail company, Spike's Joint East in Brooklyn.