(Harlem, NY – October 18, 2022) – Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC) – the modern-day reimagining of the groundbreaking Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 – and AMC Networks – the ultimate destination for premiere storytelling – jointly announced today a new multi-year partnership in which AMC Networks will be the presenting sponsor of all HFC screenings for its inaugural year. As part of HFC’s first annual celebration, co-founders Musa Jackson, Nikoa Evans and Yvonne McNair will roll out a series of expanded live entertainment event experiences including the screenings as a lead up to the multi-day outdoor music festival to be held in Summer, 2023 paying homage to the original event.
In addition to the screening events, the partnership will also include AMC Networks supporting HFC through programming, talent and live event integration. Advertisers can leverage the reach of the partnership via yearlong sponsorship opportunities celebrating Black audiences during key cultural moments across all AMC Networks’ platforms, including experiential, custom content, and programming stunts across its full range of platforms. Additionally, HFC will also reimagine another Harlem staple with its Mart 125 Marketplace. Named and modeled after the famed economic hub and incubator for small, Black-owned businesses that was located on 125th Street, this new iteration will celebrate the rich history and cultural and economic significance of Mart 125 to the Harlem community and will showcase Black-owned, Harlem-based hospitality, retail and cultural entrepreneurs. AMC Networks has also committed to support the Mart 125 Marketplace.
“We are so excited to partner with AMC Networks! Not only will this partnership ensure that we are able to realize a full experience leading up to and for the festival, but it will also help set the standard for our partnerships moving forward. AMC Networks partnering with us on the ground level like this shows a deep understanding of the significance of this Festival and that they really see the value of what we are doing,” said HFC Co-Founder and Technical & Talent Producer Yvonne McNair. “We look forward to exploring with them – through this partnership – new opportunities and innovative ways in which we can build the excitement and momentum for the Festival and how we can create and optimize an even more enjoyable experience for festival goers.”
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Harlem Festival of Culture and supporting this yearlong event in a truly meaningful way,” said Kim Kelleher, Chief Commercial Officer for AMC Networks. “We are so excited to leverage our portfolio and be a part of this incredible cultural moment, and to give advertising partners the opportunity to access this incredibly compelling slate of activities as well.”
Launched in April, 2022, the Harlem Festival of Culture was created to recapture and return the heart of the historic Harlem Cultural Festival held in 1969 to the community and to showcase the vibrancy and creative energy of today’s Harlem. The original festival was a pivotal moment in Black history that fell into obscurity for over 50 years and inspired Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s acclaimed Oscar winning concert documentary film Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised). With this reimagining, Harlem Festival of Culture will celebrate Black culture through cultural & economic development programming delivered at the nexus of live music and entertainment, creating a vibrant cultural destination.
AMC Networks’ AVENUE is a dedicated division built to help advertising and marketing partners authentically reach diverse and underrepresented audiences through association with AMC Networks’ programming, talent, relationships, reach and scale. Living within the Content Room, AVENUE serves as a one-stop resource for advertisers and marketers to connect with viewers in proximity to AMC Networks’ popular and critically acclaimed programming. AVENUE is designed to connect with, move and celebrate underrepresented audiences through the stories and storytellers that are the cornerstone of everything the company does.
For more information about the Harlem Festival of Culture, please visit: harlemfestivalofculture.com
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About Harlem Festival of Culture
Founded by Nikoa Evans, Musa Jackson and Yvonne McNair in April 2022, Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC) is a cultural festival series dedicated to presenting world class live programming that celebrates and preserves the cultural contributions of the Black Diaspora in music, media, art, fashion and entertainment. HFC seeks to reclaim Harlem’s legacy as a premier destination for Live Cultural and Music entertainment; while creating an ecosystem to foster health and economic prosperity for Harlem’s diverse communities, artists and entrepreneurs.
About AMC Networks
AMC Networks (Nasdaq: AMCX) is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically acclaimed content. Its brands include targeted streaming services AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, ALLBLK and the anime-focused HIDIVE streaming service, in addition to AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, IFC Films and RLJE Films. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind some of the biggest titles and brands known to a global audience, including The Walking Dead, the Anne Rice catalog and the Agatha Christie library. The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.