Questlove’s Black Woodstock is his Directorial Debut

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s first try at directing a feature film is a documentary titled Black Woodstock. The movie highlights the Harlem Cultural Festival, an outdoor music festival held the same summer as Woodstock in Harlem’s Mount Morris Park. Although there were over 300,000 people in attendance, the event received almost no media recognition.

Questlove’s documentation of an event that took place decades ago will prove to be an important and enlightening film. Brent Lang write’s for variety, “The festival took place one year after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and was intended to celebrate African American culture and politics, as well as to promote black pride and unity.”

Black Woodstock will include 40 hours of never-seen-before festival footage originally shot by Hal Tulchin. Performances were made by Sly and the Family Stone, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, the 5th Dimension, David Ruffin, Mahalia Jackson, the Staple Singers, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. Thank you for telling us about Questlove’s new film, Brent Lang! Who will be seeing Black Woodstock in theaters?