Director Spike Lee sees potential for NFTs to 'democratize' film funding: NFT NYC

Spike Lee, the director behind films including She’s Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing, took the stage at an NFT conference in New York City today to explain why he thinks non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will open film funding to a greater range of investors.

During a talk at the NFT NYC conference at the Radio City Music Hall, Lee said his view on the potential utility of NFTs comes from his own experience. He described how individuals who funded his films in the 1980s still benefit from that investment.“The individuals who invested in the film are still receiving checks more than 30 years later," Lee said. "The rest is history.”

THE SCOOP

Keep up with the latest news, trends, charts and views on crypto and DeFi with a new biweekly newsletter from The Block's Frank Chaparro

By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
By signing-up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Using NFTs to fund films is "bringing more democracy to filmmaking," said Lee. However, Lee also acknowledged the riskiness of NFT investments. “No matter what you do, you have to do your research,” Lee adds, mentioning crypto company layoffs and the bear market. “Don’t bet the house.” 

Lee also hinted at a new NFT project that he said will drop “soon.” Still, when asked by an audience member whether he’d fund his own project with NFT sales, Lee didn't seem so enthusiastic. “Maybe down the line, but not right now.”

About Author

MK Manoylov has been a reporter for The Block since 2020 — joining just before bitcoin surpassed $20,000 for the first time. Since then, MK has written nearly 1,000 articles for the publication, covering any and all crypto news but with a penchant toward NFT, metaverse, web3 gaming, funding, crime, hack and crypto ecosystem stories. MK holds a graduate degree from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program (SHERP) and has also covered health topics for WebMD and Insider. You can follow MK on X @MManoylov and on LinkedIn.