Friday, June 28, 6:00 p.m. | From the shadows of Jim Crow to the crescendo of the Civil Rights movement, the birth of jazz to the expanses of Hip Hop and beyond, American jazz drummer, composer, and bebop pioneer Max Roach's life and legacy live on with a resounding and enduring rhythm. Featuring a vanguard of Black legends and luminaries including Roach himself, Abbey Lincoln, Questlove, Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Sonny Rollins, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Abdullah Ibrahim, Randy Weston, and more, this documentary is a testament to musical atonement the midst of cultural evolution and social change. Originally presented at the 29th Black Harvest Film Festival in 2023, and recipient of the Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Black Harvest Film Festival Prize Honorable Mention.

Celebrating its 30th year in 2024, the Black Harvest Film Festival is Chicago’s annual showcase for films that celebrate, explore and share the Black, African American and African Diaspora experience. The Festival, held at the Gene Siskel Film Center, curates both short and feature length films, proudly presenting influential auteurs and emerging filmmakers of color side by side. The 30th Black Harvest Film Festival will be held at the Gene Siskel Film Center November 8-21, 2024. Learn more at siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest

Awards & Nominations

Honorable Mention - Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Black Harvest Film Festival Prize Honorable Mention
Winner - Best Music Documentary, International Documentary Association

Gene Siskel Film Center Festival Showcase: The Gene Siskel Film Center is the proud home or partner venue of nearly a dozen vibrant Chicago film festivals. The Gene Siskel Film Center Festival Showcase celebrates this vibrant programming and critical partnerships with this weekend spotlight. We invite frequent patrons of the Film Center and these festivals, as well as audience members curious to learn more to join us for a veritable film festival buffet!

The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu