Dave Chappelle is Releasing a Documentary About His All-Star Comedy Retreat
The film will premiere at the closing night of Tribeca Film Festival at Radio City Music Hall.
A documentary centering on Dave Chappelle and his all-star comedy retreat in Yellow Springs, OH is headed to the big screen.
Announced today in a press release, the still-untitled feature will premiere next month during the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Directed and produced by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar (also known as the generous neighbors Chappelle spoke of in his recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience,) the documentary will explore the challenges faced by a modest midwestern town during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the protests against police brutality and the young orgranizers who led them.
The film will also show Chappelle's efforts to buoy morale and a dire economic outlook during the early days of the pandemic by hosting a socially-distanced comedy event on Reichert and Bognar's five-acre farm next door. The event grew into a season-long commitment, drawing some of the biggest names in comedy and music. "Premiering our film at Tribeca and closing out the festival at Radio City Music Hall is a big honor," Chappelle said in a statement via press release. "Our film is about courage and resilience, something New Yorkers can relate to," the comedian added.
The comedy retreat also provided the inspiration for Chappelle's new podcast, The Midnight Miracle. Co-hosted by Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli, the collage of interviews, stand-up, monolgues, and music, was released at the beginning of May. According to the comedian, the show is slated to be pressed to vinyl as well. However, a release date for the wax editions has yet to be announced.
This year's installment of Tribeca Film Festival will run between June 9th and June 20th with the Dave Chappelle documentary closing the festival at Radio City Music Hall on June 20th. Tickets will be up for pre-order starting tomorrow at 10am. "This extraordinary documentary is the most fitting to close this historic night at Radio City Music Hall and our 20th Festival," said Jane Rosenthal, co-founder and CEO of the festival.