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Mr. Soul!

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For other uses, see Mr. Soul (disambiguation).
Mr. Soul!
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMelissa Haizlip
Written byMelissa Haizlip
Produced byMelissa Haizlip
StarringHarry Belafonte
Felipe Luciano
Dr, Harold Haizlip
Nikki Giovanni
Ashford & Simpson Ronald Bell
Questlove
Novella Nelson
Stan Lathan
Carmen De Lavallade
Dr. Loretta Long
Black Ivory
Kathleen Cleaver
Sonia Sanchez
The Last Poets
Greg Tate
Kevin Powell
Christopher Lukas
Chester Higgins Jr.
Alvin Francis Poussaint
Louis J. Massiah
Narrated byBlair Underwood
CinematographyHans Charles
Edited byGiovanni P. Autran
Annukka Lilja
Blair McClendon
Music byRobert Glasper
Production
companies
Shoes In The Bed Productions, LLC
Distributed byShoes In The Bed Productions, LLC
Open Your Eyes & Think MF
Release dates
  • April 22, 2018 (2018-04-22) (Tribeca Film Festival)
  • August 28, 2020 (2020-08-28) (United States)
  • August 22, 2021 (2021-08-22) (HBO Max)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Mr. Soul! (stylized as Mr. SOUL!) is a 2018 American documentary film produced, written and directed by documentary filmmaker Melissa Haizlip. The film was co-produced by Doug Blush and co-directed by Sam Pollard. The film tells the story of Ellis Haizlip, the producer and host of SOUL!, the music-and-talk program that aired on public television from 1968 to 1973 and aimed at a Black audience. It was released in 2018 and has since received 21 filmmaking awards. Attorney Chaz Ebert, record executive Ron Gillyard, producer and director Stan Lathan, producer Rishi Rajani, producer Stephanie T. Rance, actor Blair Underwood and screenwriter, producer and actress Lena Waithe are the executive producers of the film.[1][2][3][4]

In March 2021, it was announced by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences that “Show Me Your Soul” was on the 93rd Oscars shortlist for Best Original Song.[5][6]

On June 6, 2022 Academy Award winning actor Morgan Freeman announced that Mr. Soul! won the Peabody Award for Best Documentary.[7][8]

Synopsis

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The film explores the five seasons of SOUL! against the backdrop of a swiftly changing political landscape. The film interweaves archival footage with rare performances and interviews from the SOUL! show, contemporary interviews with guests who appeared on SOUL! a Black women-led crew working behind-the-scenes[9] including Harry Belafonte, Nikki Giovanni, The Last Poets, Ashford & Simpson, Black Ivory, Sonia Sanchez, Carmen De Lavallade, Felipe Luciano, and Ronald Bell of Kool & the Gang. SOUL! gave exposure to popular stars like Stevie Wonder, Wilson Pickett, Al Green and Earth, Wind & Fire and underground artists, including McCoy Tyner and the saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and authors like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, and activists including Kathleen Cleaver of the Black Panther Party and Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture).[10]

The words of Ellis Haizlip are taken from interviews, news articles, correspondence and journal entries between 1968 and 1973. Ellis Haizlip's words are voiced by the actor Blair Underwood, who also serves as an executive producer on the film.[11]

“The primary purpose of Soul! is neither to educate nor entertain, but to give people a chance to share in the Black experience. The show must do that first. Then it can educate and entertain. Soul! makes Blacks visible in a society where they have been largely invisible.” Ellis Haizlip 1968.[11]

Release

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On April 22, 2018, Mr. SOUL! premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. The film was screened at 50 film festivals in 2018 and 2019 including AFI DOCS, BFI London, Heartland International Film Festival, Hot Docs, Indie Memphis, Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, True / False Film Festival, Urbanworld Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival, and Pan African Film Festival, among others, and won more than 18 awards.[12][13] On August 28, 2020, Mr. SOUL! was released in limited theaters and virtual cinemas.[14][15][16]

Mr. SOUL!, made its public television debut on February 22, 2021, on PBS.[17][18]

HBO Max announced, Mr. Soul! will premiere on their streaming service on August 1, 2021.[19][4]

Critical reception

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Mr. Soul! has received positive reviews and has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 27 critic reviews, summarizing: "Mr. SOUL! aims an overdue spotlight on a groundbreaking chapter in the history of American public television – and the host who helped make it all happen."[20]

End Title Song

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"Show Me Your Soul" is the end title song by Grammy Award winners Lalah Hathaway and Robert Glasper. The song, which is also written by Hathaway and Glasper along with Muhammad Ayers and Melissa Haizlip was on the shortlist for the 93rd Academy Awards in the category of Music (Best Original Song).[21][22][23]

Cast

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Archival footage

Awards and accolades

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Mr. SOUL! received 32 Nominations and won 21 awards including 14 Film Festival Awards.[24][25][26][27]

On April 13, 2022, Mr. SOUL! was nominated for a 2022 Peabody Award in the category of Best Documentary.[28][29] On June 6, 2022 actor Morgan Freeman announced that Mr. Soul! won the Peabody Award for Best Documentary.[30]

Accolades
Awards / Film Festival Category Result
2022 Peabody Awards Best Documentary Won
2021 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Independent Documentary Won
2021 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Best Music Supervision for a Documentary - Ed Gerrard Nominated
2021 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Documentary (Film) Nominated
Outstanding Writing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture) - Melissa Haizlip - Writer Won
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) - Melissa Haizlip Nominated
2021 Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Debut Feature Nominated
2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Best First Documentary Feature Won
Best Documentary Feature Nominated
Best Narration - Blair Underwood - Narrator, Melissa Haizlip - Writer Nominated
Best Archival Documentary Nominated
Best Historical - Biographical Documentary Nominated
2019 FOCAL International Awards Best Use of Footage in an Entertainment Production Won
Student Jury Award for Most Inspiring Use of Archive Won
Best Use of Footage in a History Feature Nominated
Best Use of Footage in an Arts Production Nominated
2019 Library of Congress Lavine / Ken Burns Prize for Film Finalist Won
2018 International Documentary Association Awards Best Music Documentary Won
2018 AFI Docs Festival Audience Award - Best Feature Documentary Won
2018 All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF)[31] Jury Award - Best Documentary Won
Audience Award - Best Documentary Won
2018 Dallas DocuFest Meta Media Award Won
2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival Audience Award - Top 20 Audience Favorites Nominated
2018 Indie Memphis Film Festival Jury Award - Best Sounds Feature Won
Audience Award - Best Sounds Feature Won
2018 Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival HBO Jury Award - Best Documentary Won
2018 Audience Award - Best Documentary Won
2018 Out on Film Festival Jury Award - Best Documentary Won
Audience Award - Best Documentary Won
2018 Pan African Film Festival Jury Prize - Best Documentary Won
2018 Sound Unseen Film & Music Festival Special Jury Award Won
2018 Urbanworld Film Festival HBO Jury Award - Best Documentary Won
2018 Woodstock Film Festival Audience Award - Best Documentary Won

References

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  1. ^ Leiber, Sarah Jae. "MR. SOUL Launches August 1st on HBO Max". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Mr. SOUL! The Movie out FRI 8/28 | Premier Kickback Event 8/30". Global Soul Events, Music, News. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  3. ^ Linden, Sheri (12 October 2018). "'Mr. Soul!': Film Review | LAFF 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b "'Mr. Soul!' documentary about groundbreaking 60s talk show is coming to HBO Max". TheGrio. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. ^ "93RD OSCARS® SHORTLISTS IN NINE AWARD CATEGORIES ANNOUNCED". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  6. ^ Davis, Clayton (2021-03-11). "Final Oscars Predictions: Best Original Song – Leslie Odom Jr Goes for the Double Nom". Variety. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  7. ^ "Mr. SOUL!". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Mr. Soul! Wins 2022 Peabody Award | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert". rogerebert. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Column: A 2020 Emmy Awards list for the captive home audience". San Diego Union-Tribune. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  10. ^ Chiu, David. "'Mr. Soul!' Documents Pioneering TV Show That Celebrated Blackness Through Music And Talk". Forbes.
  11. ^ a b Chiu, David. "'Mr. Soul!' Documents Pioneering TV Show That Celebrated Blackness Through Music And Talk". Forbes. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  12. ^ Newman, David Fear,Jason; Fear, David; Newman, Jason (17 April 2018). "20 Movies We Can't Wait to See at Tribeca Film Festival 2018". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 19 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Mr. SOUL! | 2018 Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  14. ^ Chiu, David. "'Mr. Soul!' Documents Pioneering TV Show That Celebrated Blackness Through Music And Talk". Forbes. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  15. ^ Hammond, Pete (26 October 2020). "Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Nominations: 'Mr. Soul', 'Gunda', 'Crip Camp' And 'Totally Under Control' Top List". Deadline. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  16. ^ "The Award Winning Film — "MR. SOUL!" Unveils New Theatrical Trailer and Poster | Radio DJ | FM | Teddy Pendergrass | Song". 18 August 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  17. ^ "MR.SOUL! | Films | PBS". Independent Lens. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  18. ^ Lang, Brent (22 December 2020). "Independent Lens Winter Slate Includes Documentaries by Jared Leto, Shalini Kantayya (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  19. ^ "Critically Acclaimed Documentary "Mr. SOUL!" Premieres August 1st on HBO Max". Entertainment Newswire. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Mr. Soul! (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  21. ^ A. O. L. Staff. "Songs From Black Films Dominate as Oscar Music Shortlists Are Released". www.aol.com. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Mr. Soul! (2018) - IMDb". Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  23. ^ "93rd OSCARS SHORTLISTS". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  24. ^ "MR. SOUL! Wins Critics Choice Documentary Award for Filmmaker Melissa Hailzip | Black Star News". www.blackstarnews.com. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  25. ^ "2021 Nominees". NAACP Image Awards. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  26. ^ "NAACP Image Awards Winners List: 'John Lewis: Good Trouble', 'The Last Dance' And 'Mr. Soul!' Among Early Winners". Washington News Post. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  27. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (12 April 2021). "'Judas and the Black Messiah' Wins Outstanding Film, Chadwick Boseman, Regina King, Daniel Kaluuya & More Nab Black Reel Awards". Deadline.
  28. ^ Davis, Clayton (13 April 2022). "Peabody Awards 2022 Nominees: 'Dopesick,' 'Underground Railroad,' 'Yellowjackets,' Bo Burnham and More". Variety. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  29. ^ Hipes, Patrick (13 April 2022). "Peabody Nominations Include 'Summer Of Soul', 'Reservation Dogs', 'Colin In Black & White', 'Dopesick', 'Hacks'". Deadline. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  30. ^ Grein, Paul (6 June 2022). "Morgan Freeman Presents Peabody Award to Documentary Film 'Mr. Soul!' (Exclusive)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  31. ^ "MR. SOUL! wins top doc prize at aGLIFF festival". NON FICTION FILM. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
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