LI-filmed 'Killer Bees' to be screened at Unity Fest in Southampton

The inaugural Unity Fest will launch Sunday at the Southampton Arts Center, followed by a free outdoor screening of the local documentary “Killer Bees.”

The film, produced by Shaquille O’Neal, follows Bridgehampton School’s Killer Bees, a nearly all-Black basketball team in a neighborhood known for white wealth. Directed by Bridgehampton natives Benjamin and Orson Cummings — brothers who attended the school — the film chronicles the team’s 2015-16 season under Coach Carl Johnson, a former hot shot player whose NBA dreams were dashed when his right arm was damaged in a shooting. “Killer Bees” played at several festivals, including the Hamptons International Film Festival, and was named one of 2017’s best sports documentaries by Sports Illustrated.

The Unity Fest bills itself as “A celebration of African-American and Afro-Indigenous culture on the East End and beyond.” The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and will include live music, guest speakers, food vendors, crafts vendors and information booths. The Cummings brothers and Johnson will take part in a pre-film discussion beginning at 7:45 p.m. The film screens at 8:40 p.m.

Masks will be required and social distancing will be monitored. Capacity for the screening is limited, so advance registration is recommended. Blankets and chairs are allowed. For more information visit southamptonartscenter.org.