Pioneer. Activist. Survivor. Mel Cheren is The Godfather of Disco. Based on Mel Cheren’s powerful autobiography, My Life and the Paradise Garage: Keep On Dancin’, The Godfather of Disco is a documentary about the man who envisioned the future of disco, and then made it happen. Through a series of interviews with the who’s who of the dance community, the film follows the arc of Cheren’s life to examine the early ‘70s musical and cultural currents that gave birth to disco. From his launch of West End Records, to his seminal role in the creation Paradise Garage, one of the most influential clubs of all time, Cheren was a man on the scene.

From that cultural heyday, the film then charts the onslaught of HIV/AIDS, its impact on New York City, and Cheren’s heroic efforts in the face of an epidemic through his work for Gay Men’s Health Crisis and 24hrs for Life/LIFEbeat. He has been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. And, rest assured, he still does it all today.

The Godfather of Disco makes a compelling case for how one’s man’s musical vision and AIDS activism helped push gay sensibilities into the greater culture—and how our world is better for it.

ADMISSION:  $10 non-member / $8 members