Jim Brunzell and Rich Gill lead 2019 Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival adds a Filmmaker Photo Call for the first time in the fest's 20 years

Jim Brunzell and Rich Gill lead 2019 Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival adding a Filmmaker Photo Call for the first time

The Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival is a rarity in that its scope should far exceed the reach of its quartet of volunteer staff that manages to produce the film festival year-after-year.

Of course, every single film festival self romanticizes the idea that they are a band of misfits and scrappy champions of film that are battling against all of the odds and the big boys each year to somehow manage to put on their event that is unlike any other around.

I always love it when a film festival head earnestly tells me that they are unique in the film festival world because they “care about the filmmakers.” I mean, thank goodness there is that one film festival that does, right?!

Anyway, Sound Unseen, under the leadership and self-relying efforts of Jim Brunzell and Rich Gill (with equal pillars of festing support, Kat Swenson and Cody Raisch this year) DO put on a great fest and attract top line filmmakers and fill seats in numerous theaters around Minneapolis. There is a very good reason they were included in this year’s MovieMaker Mag “25 Coolest Film Festivals” list.

The fact that they exist and have continued to do so in such a solid nature is cool in and of itself.

Having the rock n’ roll Moxy Hotel as their festival hub is cool. And I mean that rock n’ roll thing literally. Each room has an electric guitar and an amp. I’m not kidding. Being able to hopscotch between the class of the Walker Art Center to the classically independent Art House atmosphere of the Trylon Theater to a theater/bowling alley hybrid, etc. AND have the solid support of Extreme Noise Records, which lives and thrives in 2019 like Napster and Kanye West never happened – I mean Sound Unseen just exudes cool.

But they have never done a red carpet. And they shouldn’t. Wouldn’t fit with their personality. However, a photo call with some interviews? They were overdue to add that to the mix.

And now they have….

DAVE GRUSIN: NOT ENOUGH TIME’s director Barbara Bentree and producer John Rangel being photographed (Photo by Wildman)

Barbara Bentree (DIR) and John Rangel (PROD) of DAVE GRUSIN: NOT ENOUGH TIME (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

DAVE GRUSIN: NOT ENOUGH TIME’s director Barbara Bentree and producer John Rangel being interviewed (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

DAVE GRUSIN: NOT ENOUGH TIME’s director Barbara Bentree and producer John Rangel talk about the music legend (Photo by Wildman)

CALL-IN writing/directing tandem Ethan Vander Broek and Curtis Craven (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

CALL-IN’s Ethan Vander Broek and Curtis Craven being interviewed (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Local Minneapolis filmmaking students Ethan Vander Broek and Curtis Craven being interviewed about their film CALL-IN (Photo by Wildman)

X’s John Doe (X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC) (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

John Doe strikes a pose (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

The spotlight is on John Doe (Photo by Wildman)

John Doe being interviewed (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Director Victorious De Costa (DIGGING FOR WELDON IRVNE) (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Victorious De Costa (Director of DIGGING FOR WELDON IRVINE) said he has to earn that name every day (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

DIGGING FOR WELDON IRVINE’S director Victorious De Costa (Photo by Wildman)

Simon David (Director of TIME AND PLACE) made the trip to Minneapolis from Romania (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

TIME AND PLACE’s Simon David being interviewed (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Simon David (Director of TIME AND PLACE) talks about Lee Moses, Atlanta’s deep soul legend (Photo by Wildman)

TIME AND PLACE’s Simon David (Photo by Wildman)

X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC director W.T. Morgan (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

W.T. Morgan (DIR) and Alizabeth Foley (PROD) of X;: THE UNHEARD MUSIC (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

W.T. Morgan gives the lowdown on filming X back in the day for X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

W.T. Morgan and Alizabeth Foley (X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC) being interviewed (Photo by Wildman)

X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC’s Alizabeth Foley (PROD), W.T. Morgan, and John Doe being photographed (Photo by Wildman)

John Doe joins Alizabeth Foley (PROD) and W.T. Morgan (DIR) for a shot (X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC) (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Director Kevin Webb (THE ODYSSEY OF CLEVE EATON) (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Kevin Webb (Director of THE ODYSSEY OF CLEVE EATON) (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

THE ODYSSEY OF CLEVE EATON’s director Kevin Webb being interviewed (Photo by Wildman)

The jurors minus one: Justin Courtney Pierre, Megan Leonard, Cyn Collins, Matt Grady (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

And now the gang’s all here (at least on the jury front): Justin Courtney Pierre, Megan Leonard, Robyne Robinson, Cyn Colllins, Matt Grady (Photo by Darin Kamnetz) And take note of Megan Leonard, keeping her laser focus from the previous shot

Justin Courtney Pierre talks about the Sound Unseen jury experience as Cyn Collins thinks about what her response will be (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Scott Crawford, director of BOY HOWDY: THE STORY OF CREEM MAGAZINE (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

The belle of the 2019 Sound Unseen ball: Ondi Timoner (Director of MAPPLETHORPE, DIG!, and SEEING THROUGH PAUL) (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Director Ondi Timoner (MAPPLETHORPE, DIG!, SEEEING THROUGH PAUL) (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

Taryn Gould, co-Director of ALL I CAN SAY (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

ALL I CAN SAY’s co-Director Taryn Gould (Photo by Darin Kamnetz)

ALL I CAN SAY Co-Director Taryn Gould being interviewed (Photo by Wildman)

WHEN IT BREAKS’ director Todd Tue (Photo by Wildman)

WHEN IT BREAKS’ director Todd Tue, take two (Photo by Wildman)

Joel Porter (Director of HIRAETH EP) (Photo by Wildman)

Sometimes, filmmakers’ schedules make it impossible to participate in the red carpets or the photo calls….or life, I guess. And sometimes, I just happen to be around and I want to make sure I can squeeze filmmakers into the photo gallery (even though they were not actually there). And then again, sometimes, it’s a filmmaker cocktail thing the night before and the step and repeat or the signage has already been put up and the lighting is all kinda cool and rock and roll and this is a music doc fest, so….