Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!
by Alex Billington
June 9, 2026
Source: YouTube
“This is a historical moment!” And we get a peek inside. Neon has unveiled the first look teaser trailer for an acclaimed new documentary film titled Once Upon a Time in Harlem, set for a release in limited US theaters starting in October in the fall later this year. It first premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, and also recently stopped by Cannes playing in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar section. Once Upon a Time in Harlem is actually a film that was made in the 1970s by the brilliant Black American filmmaker William Greaves, who passed away in 2014. Finding the lost in time footage, his son David Greaves put together all of the shots (filmed on 16mm originally) and finished the film – a fascinating documentary introducing us to the most incredible collection of individuals who gathered for a party in 1972 in Harlem. The party took place at jazz maestro Duke Ellington’s townhouse in NYC and was filled with living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance, an event he regarded as the most important he captured on film. Greaves invited every last participant he could locate. Many had not seen one another for decades. It takes us into that experience and it’s truly unforgettable. A must watch doc film for anyone intrigued by American history and cinema history.
Here’s the teaser (+ poster) for William Greaves’ doc Once Upon a Time in Harlem, from YouTube:
A decade after his death, genre-defying filmmaker William Greaves has one last trick up his sleeve with what he considered the most important event he captured on film: a 1972 party he engineered with the living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance. For four hours, this extraordinary group – many of whom had not seen each other in fifty years – reminisced, critiqued, argued, laughed and drank while wrestling with their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Shot on 16mm film, freshly restored and now directed by Greaves’ son David, this landmark film is at once a self-exploration and an inquiry into the heart of the critical mass of energy called the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves’ intent was not only to document these artists and intellectuals as they spoke about their lives and work but also to plumb the meaning of the extraordinary creative period in which they lived to help us better understand how culture has been passed on from one generation to another and the role that the artist plays in keeping it alive. 🇺🇸
Once Upon a Time in Harlem is directed by both William Greaves and his son David Greaves. William Greaves was an American filmmaker who passed away in 2014. He directed by many iconic films in his era including Four Religions, Still a Brother: Inside the Negro Middle Class, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One, The Fighters, That’s Black Entertainment, and many others. Produced by Liani Greaves and Anne de Mare. This initially premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Neon releases Greaves’ Once Upon a Time in Harlem doc in select US theaters starting October 16th, 2026 this fall. Look good?
