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NEON has released the trailer for its upcoming historical documentary Once Upon a Time in Harlem, which has already received widespread critical praise and holds a perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Directed by William Greaves and his son, David Greaves, the documentary brings viewers into a remarkable gathering of surviving figures from the Harlem Renaissance. William Greaves filmed the footage in 1972 after hosting a cocktail party at Duke Ellington’s Harlem home. However, the project remained unfinished for nearly five decades.
Following his father’s death, David Greaves returned to the archival footage and completed the film, preserving a rare collection of conversations with some of the most influential artists, writers, and intellectuals connected to the Harlem Renaissance.
Once Upon a Time in Harlem premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 25 as part of the festival’s Premieres section. The film later screened at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a nomination for a prestigious documentary award. NEON acquired the U.S. distribution rights after its festival debut.
The newly released trailer opens with footage from the original 1972 gathering, featuring several prominent figures from the Harlem Renaissance. Among those appearing are artist Aaron Douglas, writer Richard Bruce Nugent, poet Arna Bontemps, musicians Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle, photographer James Van Der Zee, and Ida Mae Cullen, the widow of poet Countee Cullen.
Throughout the documentary, the participants reflect on the Harlem Renaissance, its cultural significance, and its enduring influence on Black history. One speaker recalls Harlem’s reputation as the “mecca of the New Negro,” while others offer personal perspectives on the movement and the social climate surrounding it.
The conversations also explore racial tensions, stereotypes, and misconceptions. In one memorable moment, Eubie Blake laughs while responding to a claim about his interactions with white people. Meanwhile, Aaron Douglas is praised not simply as a Black artist, but as an “artist, period.”
The trailer ends on a powerful note, with one speaker declaring, “The Harlem Renaissance isn’t dead because it lives with everybody.”
Once Upon a Time in Harlem will arrive in theaters on October 16, 2026. Before its theatrical release, the documentary is scheduled to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival.
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