The Education and Public Engagement team invites visitors to explore Stories of Cinema, the Academy Museum’s ongoing core exhibition that presents diverse, international, and complex stories of moviemakers and the works they create.    

Join us for a conversation with producer Paul Hall and curatorial assistant Manouchka Kelly Labouba as they discuss the legacy and impact of John Singleton, as well as Boyz n the Hood (1991), featured in the Significant Movies and Moviemakers gallery. Located in our core exhibition, Stories of Cinema, the Boyz n the Hood gallery explores the movie's groundbreaking depiction of Black life in South Central as well as its lasting impact on popular culture.    

About Paul Hall  
Paul Hall is at the forefront of contemporary filmmaking. As one of today’s leading producers, he is a pioneer in championing and nurturing unique and underrepresented voices and guiding established studios in their marketing campaigns to broadening platforms.  

Most recently, Hall was the producer of 20th Century/Hulu’s White Men Can’t Jump (2023). His previous feature film credits include Addicted (2014) and For Colored Girls (2010) for Lionsgate; as well as the Tyler Perry hits Temptation (2013) and Madea’s Witness Protection (2012); the game-changing Higher Learning (1995); Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998); the 2000 reimagining of Shaft; Johnson Family Vacation (2004); and the cult hit Soul Plane (2004). 

Over the years, Hall has created and continued meaningful relationships within the business of cinema with legends like Spike Lee, Magic Johnson, and Tyler Perry. 

In the early 1990s, Hall began a personal mentorship and business relationship with John Singleton that started with Singleton’s first film, Boyz n the Hood, and continued until his untimely passing in 2019. Together they developed and produced several film and TV projects. During Hall’s career he has mentored many first-time writers and directors through studio feature projects while always maintaining a balance between the creative vision and economics of the business of filmmaking.  

Later, he partnered with basketball and business legend Magic Johnson to create the Magic/Hallway production company, with a first look deal with Warner Bros. Next, Hall traveled to Atlanta to produce a series of films with the then up-and-coming filmmaking mogul Tyler Perry. 

Hall began his career in the local San Francisco news market. He pioneered documentary programming for Los Angeles–based PBS-affiliate KCET, and received an Emmy nomination for his groundbreaking work with KABC. Soon after, he founded the Berkeley Group, an entertainment marketing company that created and produced the hit Fox reality series Sightings (1991–93) and Encounters: The Hidden Truth (1994). 

The conversation will take place in the TMT Lobby on Lower Level 1. Visitors are encouraged to visit the Boyz n the Hood gallery on Level Two before or after the program.  

If you have any questions, or need assistance planning your visit, please email museumeducation@oscars.org.