Once Upon a Time in Harlem
| Once Upon a Time in Harlem | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | William Greaves David Greaves |
| Produced by | Liani Greaves Anne de Mare |
| Distributed by | Neon |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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.[1][2] The film was completed by William Greaves' son David over a decade after William's death in 2014. It had its world premiere in the Premieres section at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.[1][2][3]
Premise
William Greaves presents footage of a 1972 party he convened with living luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance, an event he regarded as the most important he captured on film.[1][2]
Release
Once Upon a Time in Harlem had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2026.[1][4] In February 2026, Neon acquired U.S. distribution rights to the documentary, beating out companies including Netflix, Sony Pictures Classics, Mubi, and the Criterion Collection.[5][6]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 24 critics' reviews are positive.[7] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 94 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]
References
- ^ a b c d "2026 Sundance Film Festival Unveils 97 Projects Selected for the Feature Film and Episodic Program". Sundance Institute. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
- ^ a b c Frank, Jason P. (December 10, 2025). "The Sundance Film Festival 2026 Lineup". Vulture. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
- ^ "Once Upon A Time In Harlem". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
- ^ "What to Know About the 2026 Sundance Film Festival". Sundance Institute. July 14, 2025. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 5, 2026). "Neon Acquires U.S. On Documentary 'Once Upon A Time In Harlem' Following Sundance Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ Lang, Brent (February 5, 2026). "Neon Buys Sundance Documentary 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem' Following Heated Bidding War". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
- ^ "Once Upon a Time in Harlem". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- ^ "Once Upon a Time in Harlem". Metacritic. Retrieved February 13, 2026.