Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson will direct Black Woodstock, a feature documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival.
What We Know:
- The film Black Woodstock is about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and is produced by Robert Fyvolent and David Dinerstein.
- The idea behind this festival, which took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, was to celebrate African American music, culture ,and politics and to promote black pride and unity.
- “The festival was held in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park in 1969 and drew 300,000 attendees and was known locally as the Black Woodstock,” according to Variety.
- “The outdoors festival featured performances from luminaries such as Stevie Wonder, Sly, and the Family Stone, Nina Simone, B.B King, the Staple Singers, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, Gladys Knight, and the Pips,” according to, The Wrap.
- The documentary’s title is derived from the term that Harlem residents used to describe the festival. It will include 40 hours of never before seen footage that was originally shot by late television pioneer Hal Tulchin.
- Questlove expressed his feelings about the new venture in a statement. “I am truly excited to help bring the passion, the story and the music of the Harlem Cultural Festival to the audience around the world. The performances are extraordinary. It’s incredible to look at 50 years of history that’s never been told and I’m eager and humble to tell that story.”
Questlove is the drummer and one of the members of the R&B and Hip Hop band The Roots.
