Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson takes a closer look at Harlem: Then & Now in a new featurette released by Searchlight Pictures today, ahead of the release of his film, Summer of Soul, due out July 2nd.
What’s Happening:
- Searchlight has released a special featurette in advance of the release of Summer of Soul, focusing on Harlem: Then & Now, and the impact of the Harlem Cultural Festival.
- 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 Mount Morris Park (now 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 Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Ray Baretto, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach 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.
- Summer of Soul debuts in theaters and on Hulu on July 2nd.
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