Once Upon a Time in Harlem

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Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Directed by William Greaves
David Greaves
Produced byLiani Greaves
Anne de Mare
Distributed by Neon
Release date
  • January 25, 2026 (2026-01-25)(Sundance)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

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]

Contents

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, and Mubi. [5] [6]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 100% of 20 critics' reviews are positive. [7] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 94 out of 100, based on nine critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "2026 Sundance Film Festival Unveils 97 Projects Selected for the Feature Film and Episodic Program". Sundance Institute. December 10, 2025. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Frank, Jason P. (December 10, 2025). "The Sundance Film Festival 2026 Lineup". Vulture. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Once Upon A Time In Harlem". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ "What to Know About the 2026 Sundance Film Festival". Sundance Institute. July 14, 2025. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Lang, Brent (February 5, 2026). "Neon Buys Sundance Documentary 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem' Following Heated Bidding War". Variety . Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Once Upon a Time in Harlem". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Once Upon a Time in Harlem". Metacritic . Retrieved February 5, 2026.
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