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Saturday, June 13
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

641 D St NW, Washington, DC 20004

for all screenings

Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs That’s the Weight of the World)

Director

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson

Executive Producers

Jon Kamen, Cheo Hodari Coker, Karla Zambrano, Zarah Zohlman, Shawn Gee, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, Amos Newman, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

Producers

Dave Sirulnick, Samantha Grogin, KB White, Arron Saxe, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson

Co-Editors

Matt Cascella, Andrew Morrow, Tim Ziegler

Cinematographer

Emily Topper

Composers

Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Ray Angry

Contact

Veronica Van Pelt, HBO veronica.vanpelt@wbd.com

Few bands are as influential or enduring as Earth, Wind & Fire. Among the most critically and commercially successful pop bands in the world, they have won six Grammys and sold more than 90 million records worldwide, with 11 consecutive albums going gold or platinum. As one of the first Black bands to achieve mass crossover appeal, Earth, Wind & Fire brought Black joy and excellence to the world. Led by Maurice White — the visionary producer, songwriter, and singer who founded the band — they infused their music with unrelenting metaphysical positivity, using it to uplift consciousness and inspire people to be their best selves. In doing so, they forever changed the landscape of popular music. And yet, so few of us know their story.

Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker and musicologist Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, EARTH, WIND & FIRE (TO BE CELESTIAL VS THAT’S THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD) honors and explores one of the most beloved bands in the world — and one we know far too little about.

Ahmir Questlove Thompson

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson

Director, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs That’s the Weight of the World)

We first met Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson as the co-founder and drummer of The Roots, Philadelphia’s influential hip-hop group. Over the past thirty years, he has built a career as a modern-day renaissance man: an Academy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, DJ, producer, culinary entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author.

In 2021, Questlove made his directorial debut with the Academy Award-winning feature documentary SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED). In 2025, he returned to the director’s chair for the Emmy-nominated SLY LIVES! (AKA THE BURDEN OF BLACK GENIUS), an original documentary about legendary musician Sly Stone, as well as LADIES & GENTLEMEN… 50 YEARS OF SNL MUSIC. Questlove received a nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program at the 2025 Emmy Awards for his work on the film. Both SLY LIVES! and LADIES & GENTLEMEN… 50 YEARS OF SNL MUSIC also received 2025 Critics Choice Documentary Award nominations for Best Music Documentary, further cementing Questlove’s reputation as one of today’s most visionary music documentarians. His next directorial endeavor, EARTH, WIND & FIRE (TO BE CELESTIAL VS THAT’S THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD), is set for release on HBO in 2026 under the banner of Two One Five Entertainment, the production company launched by Questlove and fellow Roots co-founder Black Thought. Through Two One Five, Questlove has executive-produced documentaries, including THE LEAGUE from Academy Award nominee Sam Pollard and Sundance Award winner DESCENDANT from Higher Ground Productions.

Questlove has also written multiple books, including the New York Times bestsellers MO’ META BLUES, CREATIVE QUEST, MUSIC IS HISTORY, and THE RHYTHM OF TIME, the first book in his middle-grade series of the same name. In 2024, he published his first picture book, THE IDEA IN YOU. He is also the publisher of AUWA, an imprint of MCD / Farrar, Straus and Giroux on the Macmillan Publishers platform.

Questlove serves as Musical Director for THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON, where The Roots are the house band. A six-time Grammy Award-winning artist with an additional 18 nominations, he has also served as musical director for artists ranging from D’Angelo to Jay-Z, as well as the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

In 2025, Questlove received the Peabody Trailblazer Award in recognition of his cultural impact and innovative storytelling. In 2022, he was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People.

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