All-star cast of who’s who in the music industry featured in historic doc at Fisher Theatre
Sedona AZ (July 9, 2021) – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present the Sedona premiere of the award-winning new music documentary “Summer of Soul” showing July 16-22 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.
In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary — part music film, part historical record — created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. He seeks to recover the meaningful spirit of the past – when the biggest names in African-American music, culture, and politics came together for a landmark, transformational Black cultural event.
Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten – until now.
“Summer of Soul” shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. By way of intimate, newly restored footage, and recent interviews with attendees and the artists who performed, the film documents the moment when the old school of the Civil Rights movement and new school of the Black Power movement shared the same stage, highlighted by an array of genres including soul, R&B, gospel, blues, jazz, and Latin.
“Summer of Soul” includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.
“A song isn’t just a song. It can capture a moment in time. It will tell you a story, if you look close enough. The story of ‘Summer of Soul’ is my voice.” — Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
“Summer of Soul” will be shown at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre July 16-22. Showtimes will be 7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 16, 17 and 18; and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 20, 21 and 22.
Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.