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new york mayor Zohran MamdaniThe Office of the Attorney General collaborated with Neon to offer a free screening of the documentary Once Upon a Time in Harlem. Documentary celebrating the Harlem Renaissance is free in NYC in October.
Zohran Mamdani is supporting a free screening of a documentary celebrating the Harlem Renaissance
The Zohran Mamdani Office is helping to bring Once Upon a Time in Harlem across New York. In a statement for the film, Mamdani said, “Once Upon a Time in Harlem brings the personalities, ideas and debates behind the Harlem Renaissance to life for a new generation of New Yorkers.” Mamdani said the screening would give New Yorkers a chance to experience the film.
He added, “We are proud to partner with the film’s production team to offer a free screening to New Yorkers this weekend, ensuring that as many New Yorkers as possible have the opportunity to experience this film.”
The documentary screened at the Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, Toronto, and New York film festivals. It has also been nominated for five Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, including Best Documentary.
Mamdani also highlights the lasting impact of the Harlem Renaissance. He said, “Our city owes a debt of gratitude to the artists of the Harlem Renaissance whose enduring legacy is still felt in every jazz club, every gallery. And in the movement for social justice that continues today.” (via deadline)
New Yorkers can watch free screenings at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem on Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. Also, on Saturday at 4:45 pm at the Film Forum and on Sunday at 3:45 pm at the Howard Gilman Theatre. (via Eventbrite)
The film won the 2026 Library of Congress Lavin Award and the Maysles Film Center Albee Award. It was filmed by the late William Greaves in 1972. However, it was completed in 1974 using only archival material. Greaves spent much of the rest of his life struggling with how to finish the film. He died in 2014 with the film incomplete. His widow, Louise Greaves, continued to work on the project until her death in 2023, after which her son, David Greaves, and David’s daughter, Liani Greaves, took over the unfinished work.
Mamdani’s initiative aims to make the documentary’s historical insights more accessible to residents, allowing them to connect with cultural moments.