AMC Networks said it formed a partnership with the Harlem Festival of Culture and will be presenting sponsor of a series of HFC screenings that will lead up to a multi-day summer outdoor music festival.
Launched in April, HFC is described as a modern-day reimagining of the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 — the event celebrated in the Oscar-winning documentary by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Summer of Soul ( … Or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised).
AMC will also support HFC through programming, talent and live-event integrations, and help advertisers leverage the reach of the partnership through sponsorships aimed at Black audiences during cultural moments across AMC platforms.
In addition, HFC is also bringing back the Mart 125 Marketplace, showcasing Black-owned Harlem-based businesses. AMC Networks will be supporting the marketplace as well.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Harlem Festival of Culture and supporting this yearlong event in a truly meaningful way,” AMC Networks chief commercial officer Kim Kelleher said. “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.”
Harlem Festival of Culture will celebrate Black culture through cultural and economic development programming with live music and entertainment, creating a vibrant cultural destination.
AMC Networks’ Avenue, a dedicated division of its Content Room branded content unit, is designed to connect with, move and celebrate underrepresented audiences through its stories and storytellers and will work with HFC.
“We are so excited to partner with AMC Networks!” HFC co-founder and technical and talent producer Yvonne McNair said. “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. AMCN’s 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.
“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,” McNair said. ■
