What 2021 documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival won the Oscar?

The 2021 documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival that won the Oscar is Summer of Soul. Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in his filmmaking debut, the documentary restores and contextualizes professional footage from a major music event held in Harlem.

The Harlem Cultural Festival took place across six Sundays from June 29 through August 24, 1969, at Mount Morris Park, now Marcus Garvey Park. Performers included Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson, and many others. Although the performances were filmed, the footage remained largely unseen for decades, making the documentary both a concert film and an act of historical recovery.

Summer of Soul premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award in the documentary categories. It won Best Documentary Feature at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. The film is sometimes confused with Woodstock, but Woodstock documents a different 1969 festival.