ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM to Screen Free Across NYC

NEON announced, in partnership with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Office of the Mayor, four free screenings of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM on Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25. Through the free screenings, Mayor Mamdani is uplifting the film and the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, connecting New Yorkers to the artists, stories, and ideas that shaped New York City and left a mark on American culture. The screenings will take place at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem, Film Forum, and Film at Lincoln Center, celebrating the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and the power of art, culture, and creativity.

'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. We are proud to partner with the filmmaking team to offer free screenings to New Yorkers this weekend, ensuring that as many New Yorkers as possible get the chance to experience this film. Our city owes a debt of gratitude to the artists of the Harlem Renaissance whose enduring legacy is still felt in every jazz club, in every gallery, and in the movement for social justice that still continues to this day.' — Mayor Zohran Mamdani

The only film this year to screen at the Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, Toronto and New York Film Festivals, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM is also nominated for 5 Critics Choice Documentary Awards including Best Documentary and winner of the 2026 Library of Congress Lavine / Ken Burns Film Prize and the Maysles Film Center Albie Award in Harlem. The film captures a gathering of artists and intellectuals whose work helped define the Harlem Renaissance. Conceived and filmed by pioneering filmmaker William Greaves, directed by his son David Greaves, and produced by his granddaughter Liani Greaves, the film brings three generations together in an act of cultural preservation, one that underscores the responsibility to carry this history forward. William's wife, Louise Archambault Greaves, also worked tirelessly to bring his work to life; after his passing in 2014, she worked closely with Liani and brought on producer and editor Anne de Mare. After Louise's death in 2023, David, Liani, and Anne finished the film.

'William Greaves believed deeply in the power of art to preserve history as well as inspire audiences and future generations. We know it would have meant so much to him to see Mayor Mamdani and the Office of the Mayor champion this film and help bring it to New Yorkers and especially back to Harlem where he was born and raised.' — David Greaves and Liani Greaves

In 1972, William Greaves brought together a gathering of surviving artists, writers, and cultural luminaries of the Harlem Renaissance at Duke Ellington's townhouse for an afternoon of spirited debate, candid reflection, laughter, and exchange. Among those gathered were Aaron Douglas, Romare Bearden, Gerri Major, Arna Bontemps, Richard Bruce Nugent, James Van Der Zee, and Ida Mae Cullen, widow of poet Countee Cullen. Captured on 16mm film, this time capsule offers an intimate seat at the table with the visionaries who helped shape a movement, as they reckon with its legacy, challenge one another, and reflect on the cultural force born in New York City that would reverberate across the globe.

In an era of renewed discourse over whose histories are preserved, taught, and remembered, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM makes the case for protecting Black cultural history as an essential part of the American story. This is a testament to the importance of preserving marginalized histories around the world. The gathering at Duke Ellington's home was more than a reunion: it was a record of artists reflecting on their achievements, challenging one another, and considering the future of the culture they helped create. By bringing these voices into the present, William Greaves sought not only to document the lives and work of these luminaries, but also to explore how culture is passed from one generation to the next and the essential role artists play in keeping it alive.

Screening Schedule

Saturday, October 24 — 1:00 PM at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem, 2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10027

Saturday, October 24 — 4:45 PM at Film Forum, 209 W Houston St, New York, NY 10014

Sunday, October 25 — 1:00 PM at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem, 2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd, New York, NY 10027

Sunday, October 25 — 3:45 PM at Howard Gilman Theater Film at Lincoln Center, 144 W 65th St, New York, NY 10023

Guests must RSVP in advance using the screening signup form. An RSVP is required but does not guarantee admission, as the screenings are overbooked and seats will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.