This year’s Tribeca Film Festival will open with the world premiere of “The Apollo,” an HBO Documentary film about the landmark Apollo Theater in New York City, the festival announced on Wednesday.
Roger Ross Williams directs the feature-length documentary that weaves archival footage, music, comedy and dance performances, and behind-the-scenes looks at the team that makes the theater run. “The Apollo” features interviews with artists including Patti LaBelle, Pharrell Williams, Smokey Robinson, and Jamie Foxx.
“The Apollo” will make its world premiere on April 24 at the iconic theater itself, and it will air on HBO later this year. The documentary is produced by Lisa Cortés, Nigel Sinclair’s White Horse Pictures, and Williams.
The documentary covers the rich history of the storied performance space over its 85 years and follows a new production of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me” as it comes to the theater’s stage. The creation of Coates’s multimedia stage show frames the way in which “The Apollo” explores the current struggle of black lives in America, the role that art plays in that struggle and the broad range of African American achievement that the Apollo Theater represents.
The Apollo Theater is internationally renowned for having influenced American and pop culture more than any other entertainment venue. The space has created opportunities for new talent to be seen and has served as a launchpad for a myriad of artists including Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, Luther Vandross, Dave Chappelle, Lauryn Hill, Jimi Hendrix, and more.
“We’re excited to finally be going uptown to play the Apollo.” Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of the Tribeca Film Festival said in a statement. “‘The Apollo’ gives audiences an inside look at the major role this institution has played for the past 85 years. It’s seen the emergence of everything from Jazz to R&B to Soul and Gospel – all quintessential American music genres, and this is the time to remind people of our nation’s rich history.”
“The Apollo is about so much more than just music, it’s about how we used music and art to lift ourselves out of oppression,” director Williams said in a statement. “The story of the Apollo is the story of the evolution of black American identity and how it grew to become the defining cultural movement of our time. I was fortunate to make my first film with HBO and I am thrilled to be coming back home with The Apollo. Premiering at The Tribeca Film Festival, at the Apollo Theater in Harlem is a dream come true.”
“The Apollo Theater is a symbol of the creative spirit of New York and beyond, and I’m very happy that we’re kicking off our 18th festival celebrating it with this documentary from Roger Ross Williams,” Tribeca co-founder Robert De Niro said in a statement.
“The Apollo” will also have additional screenings during the festival. Passes and packages to attend go on sale on Feb. 19, and the festival, now in its 18th year, runs from April 24 to May 15. The fest will announce its full feature film slate on Mar. 5.