Rio Cinema will link up with events company We Are Parable next week to celebrate the role of black protagonists in one of the most popular movie genres of all: the heist.

They’ll work together on a series called Secure The Bag, which will involve screenings of three films across two dates: Friday April 5 and Sunday April 7.

Anthony Andrews is We Are Parable’s co-founder. “Secure The Bag is a series of films celebrating the heist genre with a difference,” he says. “A lot of heist films that we love – like Inception or Dog Day Afternoon – focus on white protagonists, so we wanted to celebrate black characters in heist movies; either people carrying them out or stopping them happening.

“We’re really happy to bring these classic films back to the big screen, and especially in a way that repositions them as important entries in the heist genre. For example, with a film like Set It Off – it’s a great film, of course, but it was more groundbreaking than anyone could have imagined.

“Four black women, unapologetic about their motives and unwilling to be pushed and pulled by anyone. The decisions they make throughout lead to a fantastic story, but also have the makings of a classic heist film.”

Secure The Bag opens with a late-night showing of Set It Off on the Friday, before a double-bill featuring Dead Presidents and Spike Lee’s 2006 movie Inside Man run on Sunday afternoon.

Anthony, together with Teanne – his wife and co-founder of We Are Parable, set their business up in 2013 to create well-rounded cinematic experiences. To that end, Secure The Bag will also feature DJs (on Friday) and talks on why black characters in heist films are so important (on Sunday).

“With the rise of Netflix, it has made it so easy for you to stay at home and watch a film, conversing only with the person next to you on the sofa,” adds Anthony. “It’s very easy to stay in that bubble, but cinemas are about communal experiences, and we want to promote and amplify that.”

The Andrews live in Waltham Forest but are excited to work with Rio Cinema once again, an “iconic cinema” for “a melting pot of different cultures,” says Anthony.

“Black people are often in pain in mainstream films, but we want to show movies with a wide spectrum of black characters who can take the lead and take charge across a wide breadth of stories.”

Secure The Bag is at Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland High Street, E8 2PB on April 5 and 7. For more details and tickets, click here.