Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, from his novel of the same name. The film portrays the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, tracing the organization from its founding through its decline in a compressed timeframe. Creative license is taken but the general trajectory of the Party and its experiences is factual. The film is notable for its strong cast: including American actors Angela Bassett, Kadeem Hardison, Bobby Brown and Chris Rock, who later became prominent in film and television.