The seventh Audi Innovation Series featured multiple award-winning director, actor and professor Spike Lee.
Following two successful Audi Innovation Series events earlier in the year, YBIMC continued to push the Canadian speaker series to new heights with the debut of a third virtual event in 2021. For its seventh featured speaker, Audi Canada was proud to welcome multiple award-winning director, actor and professor Spike Lee, who shared his perspective on innovation and creativity in the arts.
The discussion was moderated by CBC Toronto News Anchor Dwight Drummond, with opening and closing remarks from Audi Canada President Vito Paladino. Lee, whose career as a director stretches back to the 1980s and has included an Academy Award® for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2019, spoke to his personal philosophy as a storyteller and the opportunities that exist today for young filmmakers.
“When I began my career, I did not want to be a one-and-done. I wanted to build my body of work. I’ve never taken the easy route. The stories I wanted to tell were not necessarily the safe stories to tell,” Lee said. “And today, anybody with a phone can make a film—technology has brought a great democracy to filmmaking. You have no more excuses,” he added.
Watch the full conversation here.
Coverage Highlights
Discover Past Audi Innovation Series Programs
Conceptualized and executed by YBIMC, the Audi Innovation Series is a unique Canadian speaker series that highlights Audi Canada’s commitment to celebrating progressive thought leadership and promoting innovation through dialogue. Since its launch in 2017, the series has hosted Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak; Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph; fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger; Toronto Raptors President and Vice-Chairman Masai Ujiri; actor and musician Jared Leto; actor and musician Jennifer Hudson; director, actor and professor Spike Lee; and journalist and best-selling author Bob Woodward.
Tommy Hilfiger, 2019
Masai Ujiri, 2020
Jared Leto, 2021
