MARSHALL Curry’s “Street Fight” – a tough and brave little documentary about the brutal 2002 Newark mayoral election that’s been nominated for an Academy Award – is having a well-received run at the IFC Center after airing last year on PBS.

Curry braved harassment and threats from supporters of incumbent Sharpe James – including the Newark Police Department – to document a challenge by Cory Booker, who, like James, is black.

James, facing his strongest challenge during 32 years in office, derides Booker, a light-skinned Rhodes scholar who graduated from Yale, as “white” and “Jewish.”

The incumbent, backed by the Democratic political machine in the nonpartisan election, shamelessly pulls every dirty trick in the book to keep Booker from winning. As vividly recounted by Curry, it’s as riveting as it is depressing.

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STREET FIGHT

[*** 1/2] (Three and one-half stars)

Solid political documentary. Running time: 86 minutes. Not rated (profanity). At IFC Center, Sixth Avenue and Third Street.