40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks

40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks is the production company of Spike Lee.

The company is named after a famous episode of the early Reconstruction period. In 1865, General Sherman issued "Special Field Order 15", which ordered the distribution of lots of 40 acres (160,000 m2) to some freed black families on the Georgia coast, and also distributed some surplus army mules. After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, Andrew Johnson revoked it, took the land away from the freed slaves, and returned it to the previous owners.

After the success of films Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, Lee expanded the 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks brand by opening clothing stores with merchandise that bore the 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks emblem. Lee has also done several collaborations with Nike, Eckō Unltd. and Brooklyn Denim.

40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks also has an advertising division with DDB called Spike DDB located in New York City, New York. They have done Super Bowl, Nike and Lay's commercial spots. They have produced commercials and music videos in addition to Spike Lee's films.

In 2004, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks moved all of its operations to New York City with headquarters in Brooklyn. 40 Acres and a Mule's headquarters is located on South Elliott Place in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Awards and honors

 * 2010: Peabody Award for If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise

Filmography
Main article: Spike Lee filmography


 * She's Gotta Have It (1986)
 * School Daze (1988)
 * Do the Right Thing (1989)
 * Mo' Better Blues (1990)
 * Jungle Fever (1991)
 * Malcolm X (1992)
 * Crooklyn (1994)
 * Clockers (1995)
 * New Jersey Drive (1995)
 * Tales from the Hood (1995)
 * Girl 6 (1996)
 * Get on the Bus (1996)
 * He Got Game (1998)
 * Summer of Sam (1999)
 * The Best Man (1999)
 * The Original Kings of Comedy (2000)
 * Bamboozled (2000)
 * Love & Basketball (2000)
 * 3 A.M. (2001)
 * 25th Hour (2002)
 * Good Fences (2003)
 * She Hate Me (2004)
 * Inside Man (2006)
 * Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
 * Red Hook Summer (2012)
 * Oldboy (2013)
 * Cronies (2015)
 * Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2015)
 * Chi-Raq (2015)
 * BlacKkKlansman (2018)
 * Tales from the Hood 2 (2018)
 * See You Yesterday (2019)
 * Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Television

 * The Derrick Jackson Show (1999-2002)
 * A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)
 * When the Levees Broke (2006)
 * Kobe Doin' Work (2009)
 * If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise (2010)
 * She's Gotta Have It (2017)