Music documentaries are a major part of the festival circuit, but this year at Tribeca, they're not just showing up on screen, they're turning into full-on events.

The festival opened on June 3rd with Questlove's new Earth, Wind and Fire documentary, followed by a performance from the legendary

band and the roots. Tribeca closes with a new Alicia Keys film rooted in her New York story,

and in between there are world premieres and special events tied to Madonna, Sarah Borellas,

Peter Frampton, and more. So what makes a music film work beyond the name

on the marquee? And what are these artists revealing when they let cameras follow them

beyond the stage? Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is

Friday, June 5th,

2026. Here to walk through some of the biggest music films at this year's Tribeca Fest is USA Today's

National Music Reporter, Melissa Ruggieri. Can't wait to jump into these with you. It's so good to have you here,

Melissa. Thank you. Great to be here. Let's start with the opening night movie.

Amir Thompson, better known as Questlove, has its new Earth, Wind, and Fire documentary

called to be Celestial versus That's the Weight of the World.

What does Questlove seem to be trying to capture here beyond the major hits produced by this iconic band.

Well, you know, Questlove approaches this as a fan and as a historian.

He's followed Earthwind and Fire since he was a kid.

He's talked about how much they've influenced him.

But yet, as we know from Questlove's other documentaries, he really does dig deep into things.

So what he really wants people to know from this documentary is

just the genius of Maurice White, the founder of the group. He died in 2016. But he also doesn't

shirk from showing that more mercurial side of Maurice. I mean, this was a guy who made it very clear

that it was his band. And even in the early 80s, he decided just grabbed them for a meeting one day and said,

...