WE WANT THE FUNK!

Premiered April 08, 2025
Directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London

The syncopated story of funk music, from its roots to the explosion of '70s urban funk and beyond.

About the Documentary

WE WANT THE FUNK! is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story also traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.

The Filmmakers

Stanley Nelson

Stanley Nelson is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, MacArthur Fellow, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. President Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal. Nelson has directed and produced numerous films, including Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, and Jonestown: The Life and Death of People’s Temple.

Nicole London

Nicole London is the Grammy Award-nominated producer of Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which was also awarded a 2021 News and Documentary Emmy Award. Recent credits include Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me, The Talk: Race in America, and 16 films now playing in the Segregation Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum.

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artwork by artist Kristen Uroda of an african american spaceman with hi-top fade hair singing into giant floating mic in space
Beyond the Films

More than a Sample Size: The Legacy of Funk Music in Hip-Hop

Promotional Resources

Engagement Guide