A new documentary dedicated to exploring the history and impact of the iconic funk band Sly & The Family Stone will have its debut in the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Produced by musician Questlove, the documentary, titled “SLY LIVES! (aka the Burden of Black Genius), will have its world premiere at the festival, which will be held from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2 in Utah. It will chronicle the beginning of the band, their subsequent rise and their decline from the spotlight. The documentary will also focus on the effects and burden that success comes with for Black artists in America.
The film is slated to be shown with 87 other feature films. Movies and documentaries include a film adaptation of the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, Zackar Drucker’s April & Amanda, Cherien Dabis’ All That’s Left of You, Omaha, and Love, Brooklyn.
“The combination of these new voices and some of these filmmakers who might be more household names, speaks to the the power of independent cinema and how, no matter where you are in your career, you are drawn to this community that Sundance has helped build over the years,” said the Sundance director of programming Kim Yutani per The Hollywood Reporter.
???? We’re thrilled to announce the 2025 #Sundance Film Festival lineup. Explore projects from our Features and Episodic programs, screening at the Festival this year. -> https://t.co/Z3PwdHkKyL pic.twitter.com/tV3ztibiH2
— Sundance Film Festival (@sundancefest) December 11, 2024
The documentary will be released less than two years after the leader of Sly and the Family Stone, Sly Stone, released his own memoir.
Published through Questlove’s AUWA Books imprint, “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” chronicles the early days of Stone’s life in the San Francisco Bay Area and his rise as a musician from his time as a church musician, radio DJ and record producer. The memoir also focuses on Stone’s personal life and how his career impacted it.
Considered to be a pioneer in music, particularly in the fusion of funk, psychedelia and gospel, Stone is credited with inspiring a number of artists including Prince, Public Enemy, LL Cool J and Beck with his legendary performances at Woodstock and the Harlem Cultural Festival.
“For as long as I can remember folks have been asking me to tell my story, I wasn’t ready,” Stone said in a statement when the book was initially announced. “I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It’s been a wild ride and hopefully my fans enjoy it too.”
