Alicia Keys Documentary Scores Closing Night Slot at Tribeca Film Fest

The Girl on Fire will bring her life story to the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.

The documentary Alicia Keys: Girl From Hell’s Kitchen is set to make its world premiere on closing night of the festival, organizers announced Thursday.

After the film screens, Keys will make an appearance, although it’s unclear if she plans to perform.

In the film, the New York City native reflects on her childhood growing up in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood and the journey that took her from the city’s gritty streets in the 1990s to the global stage.

Keys, 45, released her multi-platinum debut studio album Songs in A Minor in 2001. The “Girl on Fire” musician has since won 15 Grammy Awards, become a best-selling author, and produced television and Broadway shows, according to her official website.

The film on her life is directed by One9, and produced by Brian Satz and Cole Cook. The festival describes it as a “moving tribute to a life of music, dreams, and the city that breaks them and makes them.”

Tribeca fest kicks off on June 3 in New York City, with the documentary Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That’s the Weight of the World).

Directed and produced by musician and Oscar-winning documentarian Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the film tells the story of the legendary band and its founder, Maurice White. The screening will be followed by a performance featuring Earth, Wind & Fire and The Roots.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Tribeca Film Fest, which was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002 to boost economic activity in Lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

“Tribeca began twenty-five years ago as an act of healing, a mission to reunite our community through the power of storytelling,” co-founder and co-chair Jane Rosenthal said in a statement Thursday.

“Today, that purpose feels more urgent than ever. As we navigate an increasingly divided world, the same spirit that rebuilt our city after 9/11 now fuels a new generation of artists and storytellers,” Rosenthal added.

The 2026 festival lineup includes 118 feature films and 86 short films. Festival organizers note 48 percent of the films in competition are directed by women and 50 percent by BIPOC filmmakers, spotlighting diverse voices.

You can find more details on the festival at tribecafilm.com.