Spike Lee Debuts "Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus" At The 18th Annual American Black Film Festival

Spike Lee's new one has bite.

Brooklyn's best known independent filmmaker was in attendance Sunday at New York's SVA Theater in Chelsea, wearing a summer straw hat and Team USA World Cup jersey, debuting his latest flick "Da Sweet Blood of Jesus." It was the closing night gala of the 18th annual American Black Film Festival.

The movie is a return to hard-core independent roots for Lee, who continues to mix in indies with big studio pictures and documentaries. Part of the funding was crowdsourced through Kickstarter.

"I am not banishing myself from studio movies," Lee said in a post-screening Q&A, "but there are some films no studio will ever make."

"Da Sweet Blood of Jesus" certainly fits that bill. Based on a 1973 cult film titled "Ganja and Hess," the highly stylized "Sweet" stars Stephen Tyrone Williams as a wealthy historian of African art and artifacts who ends up stricken with an "addiction to blood."

As of now, the film has no release date.

"It is not a vampire film!" Lee jovially corrected an audience member during the Q&A. "Vampires can't go to the Fort Green projects in daytime!" Indeed, there are no fangs (and certainly no "Twilight"-like sparkles) in "Da Sweet Blood." Instead, there is a jazzy, atmospheric love story between Williams and Zaraah Abrahams, an English actress of Iraqi and Jamaican descent.

Filmed in Martha's Vineyard and Manhattan, the film features an original score by Bruce Hornsby.

A number of unsigned artists make up the eclectic soundtrack, keeping in line with the production's DIY vibe. In addition to Kickstarter supporters, the credits include shout-outs to a diverse group including Mike Tyson, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Tyler Perry.

When asked about comparisons to the original "Ganja and Hess," Lee said it was a favorite of his when he was at NYU film school. "I know it's out on Blu-ray now," he added. "I have to get a copy, I haven't seen it in years."

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