What better way to celebrate The Apollo’s 85th anniversary than with a screening of "The Apollo" at The Apollo?
The Tribeca Film Festival’s organizers announced Wednesday that the 18th annual event will kick off at the Apollo Theater on April 24 with a screening of the documentary "The Apollo." The doc is helmed by Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams, and explores 85 years of the Harlem theater’s history including vintage photos, footage of iconic performances and interviews with everyone from including Patti LaBelle to Smokey Robinson. Pharrell Williams, who produced the film, also makes an appearance.
“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 ” Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro said in a statement.
The documentary, in addition to telling The Apollo’s history, follows the preparations for a 2018 stage production of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ "Between the World and Me." Williams said the movie will emphasize how the theater plays an important role in civil rights and black achievement in arts.
"‘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," he said in a statement.
The Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 24 to May 5. Organizers will reveal the festival’s feature film lineup on March 5.
