Boots Riley is a filmmaker, activist, screenwriter, producer, poet, rapper, and speaker.
His second feature film I LOVE BOOSTERS had its World Premiere at the opening night of South By Southwest and will open in theaters nationwide May 22 2026. Starring Keke Palmer (ONE OF THEM DAYS, NOPE), Naomi Ackie (SORRY, BABY, BLINK TWICE), Taylour Paige (ZOLA), Lakeith Stanfineld (SORRY TO BOTHER YOU), Poppy Liu (HACKS), Eiza Gonzalez (BABY DRIVER), Will Poulter (THE BEAR), Academy Award Nominee Don Cheadle (HOTEL RWANDA) and Academy Award Nominee Demi Moore (THE SUBSTANCE, LANDMAN), I LOVE BOOSTERS centers on a crew of professional shoplifters who take aim at a cutthroat fashion maven.
Boots Riley’s directorial debut SORRY TO BOTHER YOU premiered to strong critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. By embedding messages regarding economic and class critique as well as politically progressive movement building into dystopian science fiction satire, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU brought issues surrounding income inequality into wide public discussion.
His seven-part series I’M A VIRGO released in summer 2023 to critical acclaim. The absurdist comedy about a 13ft tall Black man who lives in Oakland, California stars Jharrel Jerome (who won an Emmy for his role in Ava DuVernay’s WHEN THEY SEE US), Brett Gray, Walton Goggins, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Kara Young, Olivia Washington, and Allius Barnes with a score by Tuneyards.
Boots Riley is also is the founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club featuring Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine on guitar.
A dedicated community based activist, Boots was deeply involved with the Occupy Oakland movement and was one of the leaders of the activist group The Young Comrades.
He is the author of the critically acclaimed collection of essays “Tell Homeland Security-We Are the Bomb” (Haymarket Books).
