Opening Presentation
Best of Fest Encores - Available Tuesday, May 25 at 12:00pm through Wednesday, May 26 at 12:00pm ONLY
In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion.
Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Marcus Garvey Park. The footage was never seen and largely forgotten – until now. Summer of Soul shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by B.B. King, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder and more.
Summer of Soul premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. It will stream on Hulu in conjunction with Disney’s new BIPOC Creator Initiative; Searchlight Pictures will release it theatrically.
Director Biography
Drummer, DJ, producer, culinary entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, and founding member of The Roots, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson is musical director for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He has won numerous Grammy awards and co-produced the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton and has acted in, scored, and/or produced numerous TV shows and films.
Sponsors
