The Apollo Theater has been a cultural anchor on Harlem’s West 125th St. since 1934, and through its doors have passed the most legendary African American artists of the past nine decades. Academy Award® winning filmmaker and Tribeca alum Roger Ross Williams looks at the storied history of this iconic space while following the Apollo’s inaugural staging of Ta-Nehisi Coates' acclaimed Between the World and Me.

The Apollo Theater itself represents the ongoing struggle of black lives in America and The Apollo demonstrates the elemental role that art plays in that struggle by highlighting the broad range of African American achievement that has been discovered, championed, and thrived on its stage. The Tribeca Film Festival is proud to open our program in 2019 with this celebration of art and community in New York City.

—Cara Cusumano