Eighth Annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM
The Library of Congress, The Better Angels Society, Ken Burns, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation today announced the winner of the eighth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film:ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM, which will be awarded a $200,000 prize. The film is a collaboration that spans three generations—directed by David Greaves using footage from his late father, the filmmaker William Greaves, and produced by Liani Greaves, David’s daughter and William’s granddaughter.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM documents a 1972 cocktail party inside Duke Ellington's townhouse, filmed cinéma-vérité by filmmaker William Greaves. Greaves invited every surviving creator of the Harlem Renaissance he could locate, including Aaron Douglas, Romare Bearden, Arna Bontemps, Richard Bruce Nugent, James Van Der Zee, and Countee Cullen’s widow, Ida Mae Cullen. Many of them had not seen one another in fifty years. Greaves’ 16mm cameras follow the action as the group reminisces, argues, and wrestles with how culture survives across generations. Fifty years later, Greaves’ son David restored and finished the film as an essential living archive of the Harlem Renaissance.
The National Jury for the Prize recognized the film as a stunning, seminal work that will be written about and referred to for decades to come. Jurors noted the importance of the Harlem Renaissance in American history and praised how the film conveyed the complexities and legacies of this period. They commended how the film uniquely captured living icons reflecting on and debating their own roles in shaping American culture, making the viewer feel like they have “a window into history.”
Sundance Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, and New York Film Festival – will screen at the New York Film Festival on September 29 and be released in select theaters starting October 16. Film Forum will host a retrospective titled “William Greaves 100,” a curated celebration timed to the filmmaker’s centennial, from October 23 to 29.
“I was won over from the moment the camera started rolling,” said Ken Burns. “It’s literally the best party I have ever been to, a festive time travel through the memory of these extraordinary individuals. Once Upon a Time in Harlem is a celebration of the Harlem Renaissance but just as important—and riveting—it’s an intimate conversation about the meaning of art and life and how we share ideas across generations. We are all indebted to William Greaves for curating and capturing this moment and to David Greaves for bringing to life what his father so lovingly started more than 50 years ago.”
The Prize for Film runner-up, ROMARE BEARDEN: A LIFE IN COLLAGE, directed by Deborah Riley Draper, also highlights the Harlem Renaissance and its influence. The film, which will receive a $50,000 cash prize, is an intimate, visually layered portrait of the artist Romare Bearden, who transformed the rituals, traditions, and textures of Black life into a radical new visual language. Told through Bearden’s own words and archives, the film reintroduces a towering yet underrecognized modernist, athlete, and activist whose influence still shapes contemporary culture. The National Jury praised how the film captured the breadth of Bearden’s work through archival photographs, works of art, and film, while also illuminating his personal philosophy and his artistic practice in his own words. As the Jurors put it, “Romare Bearden deserves to be much better understood, and this film proves why.”
“Once Upon a Time in Harlem is a revelation,” said Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen. “It reintroduces us to a range of personalities and perspectives and invites us to participate. It embodies how compelling archival footage can be–not only does it make this history feel alive in the present, but it is a great deal of fun to watch. The runner-up, Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage, is a beautiful film that captures how the practice of this extraordinary artist was fully integrated into his life. Bearden’s personality shines through as the arc of his life exemplifies perseverance and vision.”
Four finalists (listed below) will each receive a $25,000 cash prize.
The winner and runner-up will be honored on October 22, 2026, at a ceremony in New York City with Ken Burns. Sponsors for the event include Bobby & Polly Stein; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Brian & Karen Conway; Marilynn & John Hill; The Ralph & Ricky Lauren Family Foundation; Dr. Annoel Yabes & Greg Lau; CliftonLarsonAllen; and Rocco & Debby Landesman.
The Prize for Film provides critical recognition and resources to filmmakers who produce exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. It was established in 2019 by the Library of Congress and The Better Angels Society, the preeminent organization supporting outstanding American history documentaries to inspire lifelong learning, promote civic engagement, and encourage civil discourse. The prize is bestowed annually by the Library of Congress in partnership with The Better Angels Society and awards $200,000 to one winner, $50,000 to one runner-up, and $25,000 to each of four other finalists. Core underwriting for the prize is provided by a generous gift from Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine through the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation.
“With overlapping stories and distinct styles, this year’s winner, Once Upon a Time in Harlem, and runner-up, Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage, illuminate the Harlem Renaissance and its enduring impact on American culture,” said Katherine Malone-France, President & CEO of The Better Angels Society. “Each film captures the humanity of this remarkable period of artistic and cultural expression, bringing vividly to life the writers, artists, musicians, and thinkers who shaped it. At the same time, the breadth of this year’s six finalists in both storytelling and subject matter demonstrates the tremendous power of documentary film to educate, inspire, and connect.”
“We are proud to support filmmakers who use the power of documentary storytelling to bring American history to life,” said Jeannie Lavine and Jonathan Lavine. “These films give audiences the opportunity to encounter history through the people who lived it, the communities who shaped it, and the stories that too often go untold. This year’s exceptional winner, runner-up, and finalists are reminders of how much there is to discover about our shared history, and we are thrilled to help support their work. We look forward to celebrating each of these films in New York.”
After a robust peer review of submissions, six finalists were selected by the National Jury of filmmakers and executives, historians, and cultural leaders. This year’s Jury includes historical documentarians Yoruba Richen, Betsy West, and Peter Yost; Tenement Museum President Annie Polland; University of Virginia history professor and film director Claudrena Harold; DOC NYC Artistic Director Jaie Laplante; Harvard’s Black Film Project Executive Director Jacqueline Glover; and Chief of the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center Rachael Stoeltje. Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen, in consultation with Ken Burns, selected the winner and runner-up.
Since 2019, the Prize for Film has awarded $2.6 million to support outstanding documentaries about U.S. history. Winning films have included FLANNERY (Directed by Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco, S.J.); HOLD YOUR FIRE (Directed by Stefan Forbes); GRADUALLY, THEN SUDDENLY: THE BANKRUPTCY OF DETROIT (Directed by Sam Katz and James McGovern); BELLA! THIS WOMAN’S PLACE IS IN THE HOUSE (Directed by Jeff L. Lieberman); PHILLY ON FIRE (Directed by Ross Hockrow and Tommy Walker); DROP DEAD CITY (Directed by Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn); CARTOON KINGS (Directed by Asaf Galay); and AMERICAN PACHUCO:THE LEGEND OF LUIS VALDEZ (Directed by David Alvarado).
Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film winners and finalists have been broadcast across network and streaming platforms, including PBS, Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. Many of the films have played major festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, and DOC NYC. Past recipients have also been nominated for or won major awards, including The Peabody Awards, NAACP Image Award, Emmy Awards, and the IDA Awards.
WINNING FILMS
Winner: ONCE UPON A TIME IN HARLEM, directed by David Greaves and William
Greaves (posthumous)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem documents a 1972 cocktail-salon gathering inside Duke Ellington's Harlem townhouse, filmed cinéma-vérité on 16mm by filmmaker William Greaves. Greaves invited every surviving creator of the Harlem Renaissance he could locate, many of whom had not seen one another in fifty years. Newly restored and directed by Greaves’ son David, the film captures the group’s reminiscing, arguing, and wrestling with how culture survives across generations.
Runner-Up:ROMARE BEARDEN: A LIFE IN COLLAGE, directed by Deborah Riley
Draper
Romare Bearden: A Life in Collage is an intimate, visually layered portrait of the artist who transformed the rituals, traditions, and textures of Black life into a radical new visual language. Told through Bearden’s own words and archives, the film reintroduces a towering yet underrecognized modernist, athlete, and activist whose influence still shapes contemporary culture.
FINALISTS
THE ANIMATED MIND OF OLIVER SACKS, directed by Dempsey Rice
The Animated Mind of Oliver Sacks draws on immersive animation and a newly uncovered trove of personal recordings to trace the young neurologist’s early work with patients alongside the private conflicts shaping his inner life. It reveals how a brilliant, humane, yet flawed man challenged prevailing medical culture and found in his patients a mirror for himself.
BARRIO TELEVISION, directed by Christina DiPasquale
Barrio Television uncovers how Puerto Rican activists in 1970s New York disrupted live television to launch “Realidades,” the first bilingual Latino series in U.S. history—expanding the public in public television. With original creators and never-before-seen materials, it reveals the rise, rupture, and return of a series that shattered expectations and refused to stay buried.
THE DAY FREEDOM DIED, directed by Joseph Dorman and Kelly Williams
In 1873 in Colfax, Louisiana, more than 60 Black men were murdered because they dared
to vote. The Day Freedom Died is a journey to the dark heart of American racial
history—the single bloodiest day of violence during Reconstruction and the Supreme
Court decision that followed, which spurred more violence and undermined the country's
attempt at racial equality.
ZENÓN AND THE REBEL BOATS, directed by Juan C. Dávila Santiago
Zenón and the Rebel Boats tells the untold story of Carlos “Taso” Zenón, a Puerto Rican fisherman and unsung hero who led the struggle against the U.S. Navy’s prolonged occupation of his native island of Vieques, which began in 1941 and lasted over six decades. Narrated by Zenón himself before his death, the documentary weaves together his voice with never-before-seen archival footage that reveals the strategies implemented by fearless fishermen to defy warships and inspire an environmental and anti-War movement.