Soul Train Tribute – WE WANT THE FUNK: Celebrating Firelight Media’s 25th at Richard Rodgers Amphitheater – New York, NY

ImageNation and InJoy Enterprises proudly present ImageNation’s Soul Train Tribute – WE WANT THE FUNK, a FREE, electrifying outdoor film and music festival celebrating 25 Years of Firelight Media, taking place Thursday, August 28, 2025, at Marcus Garvey Park (5:30 PM – 10:00 PM), followed by an official After Party at Shrine World Music Venue (9:30 PM – 2:00 AM).

ImageNation’s Soul Train Tribute – WE WANT THE FUNK is a celebration of culture, community, and creativity, this year’s tribute honors the legacy of Firelight Media, the nonprofit powerhouse co-founded by Stanley Nelson and Marcia Smith, which has championed Black filmmakers for a quarter-century. The event will also feature a Funk Party, Soultrain Dance line, Live Funk Mucic performaces and a outdoor screening of WE WANT THE FUNK by Stanly Nelson. The event will also include a special tribute to the late Sly Stone, funk visionary and founder of Sly and the Family Stone, whose groundbreaking sound helped shape the genre’s social and sonic revolution.

Main Event Highlights – Marcus Garvey Park (Free Entry | 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM)

• Funk Dance Party w/ Sundae Sermon’s DJ Stormin’ Norman

• Soul Train Dance Line
• Special Sly Stone Tribute w/ Marcus Machado & The Purple Vibes With Special Guests Nate Turley, Irene Blackman, L.A.W. & V. Jeffery Smith (co-founder of The Family Stand)

• Talkback with Stanley Nelson, Loira Limbal & Marcia Smith
• Firelight Media 25th Anniversary Visual Retrospective
• Film Screening: WE WANT THE FUNK (Dir. Stanley Nelson)

Conversation w/ Firelight Media – A talkback with Loira Limbal, Stanley Nelson, and Marcia SmithFirelight 25th Anniversary Reel – A visual retrospective celebrating 25 years of groundbreaking Black and Brown storytelling

Join us at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater in Marcus Garvey Park for a night filled with groovy tunes and electrifying performances. Get ready to boogie down and pay homage to the iconic era of Soul Train. Don’t miss out on this epic event that will have you dancing all night long!