“We are elated that Francis Ford Coppola is coming to Albany to premier his new director’s cut, 'The Cotton Club Encore,' as a fundraiser to help the Writers Institute launch its inaugural Albany Film Festival at UAlbany in March , 2020,” Writers Institute director Paul Grondahl said.

 

“This is an amazing opportunity to hear a magical conversation between two old friends who share a lifelong love of cinema,” Grondahl said. “One of America’s greatest filmmakers will be on stage sharing stories with a great American novelist, Writers Institute founder William Kennedy, who co-wrote the script with Coppola.”
 

Coppola hired William Kennedy in 1983 -- the same year Kennedy founded the NYS Writers Institute -- to work on a script written by Mario Puzo. In a four-week span, 12 scripts were produced, including five during one 48-hour non-stop weekend. Kennedy estimates that between 30–40 scripts were turned out in all, according to a story published in the Toronto Globe and Mail in November, 1984.

 

The $47 million film made its world premiere at Albany's Palace Theatre in December 2, 1984.

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In an interview with Associated Press, Coppola discussed his motivation for a retelling of his 1984 film:

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"THE COTTON CLUB was sort of made on the battlefield between the various people who put up the money and the producer (Robert Evans). At the time, they looked at it and said, 'Oh, there’s too many black people in it. Can we cut out some of the tap dancing and put the emphasis less on the black people in the story?'

 I happened to have a Betamax very rough copy of what the movie had been before all that happened... Much of the film had been lost, but through hook and crook, I was able to put it back together."

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The all-star cast includes Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, Diane Lane, Lonette McKee, Bob Hoskins, James Remar, Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Gwen Verdon, Tom Waits and Fred Gwynne. The 1984 release was nominated for several awards, including Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Art-Direction and Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Picture (Drama).

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Coppola directed, wrote scripts for and produced some of the greatest films in cinematic history. He won five Oscars in four years - one in 1971 for PATTON, one in 1973 for THE GODFATHER and three in 1975 for THE GODFATHER: PART II. He also won the Palme d'Or twice at the Cannes Film Festival, for THE CONVERSATION in 1974 and APOCALYPSE NOW in 1979.

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Kennedy's connection with the film community continued after THE COTTON CLUB.  The 1987 adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Ironweed was filmed in Albany and the local area. COTTON CLUB actors Waits and Gwynne would later have roles in Ironweed. Kennedy also brought Francis' brother, filmmaker and educator August Coppola, to the Writers Institute for a discussion of the history of film in May, 1986.

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“We are extremely grateful for those who made this event possible, especially Lionsgate Films, Coppola and Kennedy," said Grondahl. "I covered the 1984 Albany premiere of 'The Cotton Club' at the Palace Theatre for the Times Union. Thirty-five years ago, that jazzy night had the city jumping with excitement. Help us make the 2019 premiere of 'The Cotton Club Encore' another exciting film event we’ll be talking about for years to come.”

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