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Draft:Neal Ludevig

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Neal Ludevig is an American film and television producer, director, and writer based in New York City. A graduate of Brandeis University (class of 2008),[1][2] he co-founded the Harlem Arts Festival, a Harlem-based nonprofit arts organization, in 2010, and co-produced the 50th-anniversary concerts commemorating the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, events associated with Questlove's documentary Summer of Soul (2021). In 2023, he co-founded Snarky Elephant Productions, where he serves as Chief Creative Officer. He also serves as co-chair of the Brandeis Alumni Arts Network.[3]

Early career and the founding of the Harlem Arts Festival

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Prior to founding the Harlem Arts Festival, Ludevig worked as an artist coordinator and agent at Addeo Music International.[4] In 2010, he co-founded the Harlem Arts Festival (HAF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization, with J.J. El-Far and Chelsea Goding.[5][6] He served as Executive Director of the organization. Following a Kickstarter campaign, the festival debuted in 2012, holding annual events at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem and presenting music, dance, theatre, and visual arts programming. It drew coverage from The New York Times, The Daily News, and DNAInfo.[7][8] In its first five years, HAF presented more than 200 artists to more than 17,000 attendees.[9]

The organization received letters of support from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Congressman Charles Rangel, Councilman Mark Levine, and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, among others.[9] On June 22, 2015, Congressman Rangel issued a Congressional Proclamation establishing "Harlem Arts Festival Day."[9] Ludevig and co-founder Chelsea Goding were recorded as part of the New York Public Library's Community Oral History Project, "A People's History of Harlem."[10]

50th Anniversary of the Harlem Cultural Festival

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In 2019, Ludevig co-produced and curated a concert series marking the 50th anniversary of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a series of free outdoor concerts held in Harlem in 1969 and later referred to as "Black Woodstock." Rolling Stone named him as "the SummerStage concert's primary curator and co-producer," working in partnership with concert producer Angela Gil.[11] The New York Times also quoted Ludevig directly as "the curator and co-producer of this year's 50th anniversary 'Black Woodstock' event."[12] Billboard also identified Ludevig as the curator of the New York edition of the event, which took place on August 17, 2019 at Marcus Garvey Park, with musical direction by Igmar Thomas.[13] The concerts were produced in association with City Parks Foundation's SummerStage, Future x Sounds, and Harlem Stage.[14][15]

Performers at the concerts included Freddie Stone (Sly & the Family Stone), Talib Kweli, Keyon Harrold, and Cory Henry, among others.[16] The events were also covered by Time Out New York and NPR.[17] The concerts were associated with the production of Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), the 2021 documentary directed by Questlove.[18]

Film and television

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Snarky Elephant Productions

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In 2023, Ludevig co-founded Snarky Elephant Productions (SEP) with Vishaal Reddy, serving as Chief Creative Officer.[19] The company operates a filmmaker development program called the Snarky Elephant Incubator; Ludevig was quoted by Variety on the program's mission, describing it as "effectively a pipeline for IP" focused on identifying promising creators from underrepresented backgrounds.[20][21]

The short film Zari (2024), produced through the Incubator, won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at NewFest, the LGBTQ+ Award at the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival (2026),[22] and was subsequently broadcast on AMC+.[23] The feature Rangoli, co-produced by Ludevig and Reddy, received a $25,000 SFFILM Rainin Grant for screenwriting from SFFILM and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation in 2021.[24]

Bad Brown Kids (2026)

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Ludevig co-directed and co-produced Bad Brown Kids, a seven-episode vertical microdrama series with a South Asian ensemble cast. The series was created and written by Vishaal Reddy and Pulkit Datta and released across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok in February 2026.[25]

Lillian, Next Door (2026)

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Ludevig serves as co-producer on Lillian, Next Door, a comedy-drama feature film starring Jane Alexander, who received four Academy Award nominations across her career and an Emmy nomination in 2025 for Severance. The film is directed by Janice Engel and written by Tim Atkin. It is produced through Snarky Elephant Productions alongside James Egan (Wild at Heart Films) and Thom Fitzgerald (Emotion Pictures), with international sales handled by WME Independent. Production began in April 2026 in Nova Scotia, Canada.[26][27]

All Dogs Go to Heaven (short film)

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Ludevig co-wrote the screenplay for All Dogs Go to Heaven, a short science fiction film directed by Sebastian C. Santisteban, in which he also appeared as an actor. Indie Shorts Mag reviewed the film in March 2025.[28]

Music production

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Ludevig served as executive producer for the debut album of the Revive Big Band, led by Igmar Thomas, who had served as musical director for the 2019 Harlem Cultural Festival anniversary concerts. The project was announced via a Kickstarter campaign in February 2021, raising over $81,000 from approximately 300 backers. The album features contributions from Talib Kweli, Cory Henry, Terrace Martin, Bilal, and Dr. Lonnie Smith, and is produced by Nicholas Payton.[29][30]

References

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  1. ^ "Arts Alumni Network Fosters Creative Connections". Brandeis University. September 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "Off-campus senator campaign continues, Ludevig wins Union Judiciary race". The Brandeis Hoot. Brandeis University.
  3. ^ "Arts Alumni Network Fosters Creative Connections". Brandeis University. September 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "Inaugural Harlem Arts Festival Wants to Showcase Local Artists". DNAInfo New York. February 6, 2012.
  5. ^ "Harlem Arts Festival Young Patrons". artnet News. March 20, 2015.
  6. ^ "NYPL Community Oral History Project: Neal Ludevig and Chelsea Goding". New York Public Library.
  7. ^ "Giving Ideas a Kick in the Wallet". The New York Times. February 17, 2012.
  8. ^ "Arts Festival for Harlem on the Way, Organizers Say". New York Daily News. March 20, 2012.
  9. ^ a b c Harlem Arts Festival
  10. ^ "NYPL Community Oral History Project: Neal Ludevig and Chelsea Goding". New York Public Library.
  11. ^ "This 1969 Music Fest Has Been Called 'Black Woodstock.' Why Doesn't Anyone Remember?". Rolling Stone. August 9, 2019.
  12. ^ "At 'Black Woodstock,' an All-Star Lineup Delivered Joy and Renewal to 300,000". The New York Times. August 15, 2019.
  13. ^ "Lalah Hathaway Curates L.A. Edition of Future x Sounds Series: Exclusive". Billboard. July 16, 2019.
  14. ^ "At 'Black Woodstock,' an All-Star Lineup Delivered Joy and Renewal to 300,000". The New York Times. August 15, 2019.
  15. ^ "Black Woodstock 50 – All Of It". WNYC / NPR. August 15, 2019.
  16. ^ "Black Woodstock 50 – All Of It". WNYC / NPR. August 15, 2019.
  17. ^ "Black Woodstock 50th Anniversary Concert". Time Out New York. August 2019.
  18. ^ "Faces of Entrepreneurship: Neal Ludevig, Founder of Moon31". The Nasdaq Center. June 9, 2021.
  19. ^ "New Media Production Company, Snarky Elephant Productions, Launches Incubator with Top Entertainment Executives". PRWeb. February 21, 2023.
  20. ^ Vourlias, Christopher (2025-10-07). "Animated Sci-Fi Dramedy 'Ancient China of Mars' Rockets to Rome's MIA Market With Offbeat Space Comedy About Immigrant Dream (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
  21. ^ "New Media Production Company Snarky Elephant Productions Launches 2024 Filmmaker Cohort". PRNewswire. March 22, 2024.
  22. ^ "The American Pavilion Presented by IndieWire Announces Winners of the 2026 Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes". IndieWire. May 22, 2026.
  23. ^ "NewFest Unveils LGBTQ+ Shorts for AMC+ 'Future of Film' Pride Programming". Deadline Hollywood. May 2025.
  24. ^ "SFFILM and Kenneth Rainin Foundation Announce Winners of Fall 2021 Rainin Grants". SFFILM. November 2021.
  25. ^ "Snarky Elephant Productions Launches Vertical Comedy Series 'Bad Brown Kids'". Deadline Hollywood. February 2, 2026.
  26. ^ "'Severance' Star and Four-Time Oscar Nominee Jane Alexander to Lead Comedy-Drama 'Lillian, Next Door,' WME Independent Boards Sales". Variety. April 9, 2026.
  27. ^ "Production Scheduled for Canada on 'Lillian, Next Door' with Multiple Oscar Nominee Jane Alexander". Screen Daily. April 9, 2026.
  28. ^ "All Dogs Go to Heaven: Dystopian Sci-Fi About a Very Convenient Chip". Indie Shorts Mag. March 21, 2025.
  29. ^ "Revive Big Band Launches Black History Month Kickstarter for All-Star Album". Live for Live Music. February 4, 2021.
  30. ^ "Igmar Thomas & the Revive Big Band Announces Kickstarter Campaign". PRWeb. February 2021.
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Category:Living people Category:Brandeis University alumni Category:American film producers Category:American film directors Category:American screenwriters Category:American television producers Category:People from Harlem Category:Nonprofit organization founders Category:Music festival organizers

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