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Once Upon a Time in Harlem

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Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Image
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWilliam Greaves
David Greaves
Produced byLiani Greaves
Anne de Mare
CinematographyDavid Greaves[1]
Doug Harris[1]
David Hoffman[1]
Jerry Pantzer[1]
Edited byLynn True
Anne de Mare[1]
Music byTamar-kali
Distributed byNeon
Release dates
  • January 25, 2026 (2026-01-25) (Sundance)
  • October 16, 2026 (2026-10-16) (United States)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$157,894[2]

Once Upon a Time in Harlem is a 2026 American documentary film directed by William Greaves and David Greaves, and produced by Liani Greaves and Anne de Mare.[3][4] It follows a gathering of the surviving members of the Harlem Renaissance. Shot in 1972, it remained unfinished for fifty years, until David revisited the footage following his father's death.

The film had its world premiere at the Premieres section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 25.[3][4][1] It was also screened at the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the L'Œil d'or. It was theatrically released in the United States by Neon on October 16 and received widespread acclaim from critics.

Premise

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William Greaves presents footage of a 1972 party he convened at Duke Ellington’s townhouse in Harlem with living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance, an event he regarded as the most important he captured on film.[3][4] Greaves invited every surviving participant he could locate. Many had not seen one another for decades. They included the painter Aaron Douglas; the artist and writer Richard Bruce Nugent; the poet Arna Bontemps; the musicians Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle; the photographer James Van Der Zee; and Ida Mae Cullen, the widow of Countee Cullen.[5] They also included society editor Gerri Major, poet Frank Horne, artists Romare Bearden and Ernest Crichlow, actor Leigh Whipper, librarians Jean Blackwell Hutson, and Regina Anderson, theatrical producer Irvin C. Miller, historians Nathan Huggins and John Henrick Clarke, activist Richard B. Moore, journalist Ted Poston, and writer George Schuyler.

They discuss other key figures who had passed including Marcus Garvey, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Claude McCay, Paul Robeson, and August Savage.

Image
David Greaves at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival

Release

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Once Upon a Time in Harlem had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 25.[3][6] In February 2026, Neon acquired U.S. distribution rights to the documentary.[7][8]

It was also selected to the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its international premiere on May 18, and was nominated for the L'Œil d'or.[9] It was also selected for the 53rd Telluride Film Festival,[10] the Wavelengths section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival,[11] and the Main Slate of the 2026 New York Film Festival.[12]

It was theatrically released in the United States by Neon on October 16, 2026.[13]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 64 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "Director David Greaves finishes what his father started with Once Upon a Time in Harlem, a strikingly immersive glimpse into a unique time and place that feels like getting to bask in a community's collective heart."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 96 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[15]

Accolades

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Award Date Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards November 8, 2026 Best Documentary Feature Once Upon a Time in Harlem Pending [16]
Best First Documentary Feature David Greaves Pending
Best Editing Anne de Mare and Lynn True Pending
Best Historical Documentary Once Upon a Time in Harlem Pending
Best Archival Documentary Pending

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Once Upon A Time In Harlem". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Once Upon a Time in Harlem". The Numbers. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "2026 Sundance Film Festival Unveils 97 Projects Selected for the Feature Film and Episodic Program". Sundance Institute. December 10, 2025. Archived from the original on July 26, 2026. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Frank, Jason P. (December 10, 2025). "The Sundance Film Festival 2026 Lineup". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  5. ↑ Harlem Renaissance documentary finally gets global premiere 50 years after cameras rolled|Cannes film festival|The Guardian
  6. ↑ "What to Know About the 2026 Sundance Film Festival". Sundance Institute. July 14, 2025. Archived from the original on January 23, 2026. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  7. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 5, 2026). "Neon Acquires U.S. On Documentary 'Once Upon A Time In Harlem' Following Sundance Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 5, 2026. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  8. ↑ Lang, Brent (February 5, 2026). "Neon Buys Sundance Documentary 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem' Following Heated Bidding War". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  9. ↑ Goodfellow, Melanie (April 14, 2026). "Cannes Directors' Fortnight Unveils Starry 2026 Lineup". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 14, 2026. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  10. ↑ Hammond, Pete (September 3, 2026). "Telluride Film Festival Lineup: 'Elsinore' With Andrew Scott And Olivia Colman; Jesse Eisenberg's 'The Debut'; Mike Leigh's 'Tender Loving Care' And More Set For World Premieres". Deadline. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
  11. ↑ Erbland, Kate (August 4, 2026). "TIFF Adds More Than 60 New Titles, Including Festival Winners 'La Gradiva' and 'Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 5, 2026. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  12. ↑ Davis, Clayton (August 5, 2026). "New York Film Festival 2026 Lineup Unveiled: Chris Rock's 'Misty Green,' Andrew Haigh's 'A Long Winter' and More". Variety. Archived from the original on August 30, 2026. Retrieved August 29, 2026.
  13. ↑ Ntim, Zac (June 9, 2026). "'Once Upon A Time In Harlem' Teaser: William Greaves' Opus". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 9, 2026. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Once Upon a Time in Harlem". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on October 5, 2026. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Once Upon a Time in Harlem". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on October 6, 2026. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
  16. ↑ Davis, Clayton (October 13, 2026). "'14th,' 'You Can See Everything' and 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved October 13, 2026.
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