Over five decades after it was filmed, the long-awaited documentary Once Upon a Time in Harlem is finally being released. The project has received an official date it will hit theaters—and it's already getting buzz among fans.
Conceived and filmed by the late William Greaves—acclaimed, Emmy-winning African American filmmaker and documentarian best known for Ali, the Man, Ali the Fighter (1975) and for his preservation of Black culture—and directed and completed by his son, David Greaves, and his daughter, producer Liani Greaves, it depicts the true account of a cocktail party held at Duke Ellington's NYC home in 1972.
At the time, William had gathered every surviving creator of the Harlem Renaissance that he could locate, "many of whom had not seen one another in over 50 years," according to BlexMedia. "For four hours, the group laughed, drank, and debated their place in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape. Greaves filmed all of it on 16mm."
Key figures in the documentary include poet/novelist Arna Bontemps, photographer James Van Der Zee, author Romare Bearden, writer Countee Cullen, musician Eubie Blake, artists Richard Bruce Nugent and Aaron Douglas, and more.
The result is an epic body of work that took three generations to finish, but Greaves' legacy is finally coming full circle. Footage that was initially meant for a separate film about the Harlem Renaissance called From These Roots (completed in 1974), was set aside and never touched.
Despite William going on to become a major figure of American independent cinema, completing over 70 films, he died in 2014, with Once Upon a Time in Harlem incomplete. "His widow, Louise Greaves, continued the work until her own death in 2023, at which point their son David and his daughter Liani picked up the mantle and brought the project home," the outlet reported.
Making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival—where it reportedly received a four-minute standing ovation—on Jan. 25, followed by an international premiere at Cannes on May 18, it was officially acquired by Neon, which beat out Sony Pictures Classics, MUBI, and the Criterion Collection for the distribution rights.
Early reviewer Richard Brody of The New Yorker hailed it "a film for the ages" and "one of the greatest cinematic works of creative nonfiction that I've ever seen."
Meanwhile, people online can't wait to get a front row seat for the release, expressing excitement in the comments section of a trailer shared via Instagram.
"?This is going to be EPIC?✊??❤️?," one said, while another added, "Looking forward to seeing this. I miss the old Harlem."
"W O W...This is gold! Can't wait!!" a third exclaimed, with someone else agreeing, "This is exciting."
More commenters dropped notes like, "Cannot wait!" "HARLEM WORLD FOREVER," and "Harlem at its finest."
The film hits theaters on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, shortly after William Greaves’ centenary on Oct. 8.
Related: 'Cinema's First Female Action Star' Turns 77
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