Questlove is gearing up for the premiere of his Sly and the Family Stone documentary at the Sundance Film Festival next month.
The Roots drummer’s Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) will premiere at the prestigious film festival in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, starting on Jan. 23. The documentary will compete alongside others focused on legendary musicians, including Selena, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and Jeff Buckley, Rolling Stone reports.
It’s the second documentary for Questlove, real name Amir Thompson, following the success of his Oscar-winning directorial debut Summer of Soul.
“It’s time
good people. It’s official! SLY LIVES! ( AKA The Burden of Black Genius) will premiere at the 2025 #Sundance Film Festival,” Questlove wrote on Instagram.“Directed by Oscar-Winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the film explores the life, music, and cultural impact of Sly Stone, shedding light on the challenges faced by Black artists navigating success.”
Questlove appeared on MSNBC in June, sharing that he was putting the finishing touches on the documentary that was two years in the making.
“When I’m done [with this interview]… I’m gonna actually finalize it. Today’s the last day… two years of working on [it],” he said.
The renowned musician and producer first announced the documentary in July 2022 as a passion project, citing Sly and the Family Stone as being a part of his musical DNA.
“It goes beyond saying that Sly’s creative legacy is in my DNA… it’s a black musician’s blueprint,” he said in a statement. “To be given the honor to explore his history and legacy is beyond a dream for me.”
In September, Questlove announced plans to release his third documentary, focusing on the musical legacy of Earth, Wind, & Fire.
“The story of how a band led by a genius from Chicago changed our way of thinking, our minds and our hearts,” Questlove wrote on Instagram. “Having been baptized in the Afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I’ve learned about them, I’ve learned about us & more importantly, I’ve learned and rediscovered myself in the process.”
“I’m so excited to be part of the process of preserving their positive but very vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self & Struggle,” he added. “This is the story of joy, persistence, love, pain, magic and self discovery. This is Earth, Wind & Fire.”