Sound Unseen 2021 plays in-person in both Austin and Minneapolis doubling down on last year’s virtual run in Minnesota and Texas
The Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival (October 27-29 in Austin, November 10-14 in Minneapolis) announced the film lineup for this year’s 22nd edition of the popular film festival.
Build on last year’s Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival, virtual presentation in both Minnesota and Texas, by adding in-person screenings in Austin to the return to theaters and music performances at the film festival’s longtime home base of Minneapolis as well.
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival Virtual Screenings will begin Wed. November 10 and will end Wed. November 17.
Most films will become available the next day following their Minnesota in-person screening. Some films will be geo-blocked to Minnesota only, while others will be geo-blocked in Minnesota and Texas.
For more information on virtual screenings check out soundunseen.com
Austin screenings will include; Bobbi Jo Hart’s Fanny: The Right to Rock; Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher’s October Country: Live Score; and a 15th Anniversary screening of Todd Rohal’s The Guatemalan Handshake. In Minneapolis, Alison Klayman’s Jagged will be the Opening Night Selection, and Emily Branham’s Being BeBe will be the Closing Night selection.
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival Program Director Rich Gill
Sound Unseen’s Program Director Rich Gill, said, “Last year was a year of innovation inspired by the restraints placed us, like most film festivals due to the pandemic. Rather than retreating, we actually opened up our reach to the audiences that love the melding of music and film by branching out into Texas and all of Minnesota virtually. This year, we’ll keep our virtual approach in those states as we happily return to theaters in Minneapolis and theaters in Austin, as well. It will be exciting to add Sound Unseen’s in-person footprint to that music and film-rich city.”
Screening at Austin Film Society Cinema (6259 Middle Fiskville Rd) October 27-29 will be Bobbi Jo Hart’s Fanny: The Right to Rock, which looks at the rise and influence of the seminal 70s all-women rock band with guitarist Patti Quatro attending and participating in a Q&A following the screening; Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher’s October Country: Live Score, a deeply personal portrait of an American family struggling for stability while haunted by the ghosts of war, teen pregnancy, foster care, and child abuse; and a 15th Anniversary screening of Todd Rohal’s underground, indie cult classic The Guatemalan Handshake (2006) which throws several quirky and odd characters together via a series of events that lead up to a massive demolition derby. A Q&A moderated by filmmaker Jeff Nichols (Loving, Midnight Special, Mud) with Todd Rohal.
Jagged at Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival
Alison Klayman’s Jagged will be the Opening Night selection for Sound Unseen, screening at The Parkway Theater (4814 Chicago Ave.) on Wednesday, November 10) with director Alison Klayman and Producer M. Jaye Callahan present for opening night. The film follows the reinvention of Alanis Morissette’s music and career via her groundbreaking album “Jagged Little Pill.” And how her success changed the game for women singer/songwriters. Emily Branham’s
Being Bebe at Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival
Emily Branham’s Being BeBe is this year’s Closing Night selection and will receive a very special presentation at the Walker Art Center (725 Vineland Pl.) on Saturday, November 13 with both Branham, Producer Marc Smolowitz and BeBe Zahara in attendance. The film focuses on Marshall Ngwa (a.k.a. renowned drag performer BeBe Zahara Benet), who came to the United States escaping the homophobia he experienced in Cameroon with dreams of a better life, and became the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009.
Being Bebe follows Marshall’s remarkable immigrant journey from the earliest days of his amateur drag performance career in Minneapolis, circa 2006, to his emergence as one of the leading artists in the movement to celebrate and advance Queer Black Excellence during the 2020s. Being Bebe is co-presented with the Walker Art Center and FilmNorth.
Other highlights among the in-person screenings in Minneapolis include the world premiere of Balin Schneider’s Out Of Time: The Material Issue Story, which looks at the tragic story of the power pop trio on the cusp of superstardom cut short by front man Jim Ellison’s suicide.
Listening to Kenny G is the latest from award-winning documentarian Penny Lane about the best-selling instrumentalist of all time, and arguably the most famous living jazz musician which promises to challenge your preconceptions about music.
The documentary filmmaking team of P David Ebersole and Todd Hughes’ latest is My Name Is Lopez about 60s music icon Trini Lopez who overcame all odds to become one of the first Latino rock stars. Ori Segev and Noah Dixon’s Poser utilizes a meta-approach with underground music artists in Columbus, Ohio to form a haunting thriller about a fan and podcaster’s obsession with being a part of the scene itself. Sound Unseen will also celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hal Ashby’s cult classic Harold and Maude (1971) about the emotional and romantic bond between a death-obsessed young man (Bud Cort) from a wealthy family and a devil-may-care, bohemian octogenarian (Ruth Gordon).
Music performances will take place at The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge (3010 Minnehaha Ave.). On November 11, Low Rats, Lot Lizard, and James Eugene Russell, all of whom were subjects in the film, I Really Get Into It, will perform. On November 12, High TV, Ruan Sutter and special guests from Witness Underground will be featured. On November 13, performances by Black Widows and Honey Dick will celebrate the screening of Skating Polly.
Sponsors for this year’s festival includes, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Moxy Minneapolis Uptown hotel, Extreme Noise Records and community partners include Walker Art Center, The Consulate General of Canada in Minneapolis, FilmNorth, Austin Asian American Film Festival, OUTsider, KUTX 98.9, Austin Film Society, Trylon Cinema, Bryant Lake Bowl, The Parkway Theater, The Hook and Ladder Theater & Lounge, The Women’s Club of Minneapolis, Racket and Uptown VFW.
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival virtual passes and tickets
For more information about Sound Unseen, as well as how to purchase virtual passes and tickets, go to: http://www.soundunseen.com.
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival
The 2021 Sound Unseen Film Festival official selections:
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival IN AUSTIN
Fanny: The Right to Rock Austin Premiere
Director: Bobbi Jo Hart
Country: Canada; Running Time: 96 min
Sometime in the 1960s, in sunny Sacramento, two Filipina-American sisters got together with other teenage girls to play music. Little did they know their garage band would evolve into the legendary rock group Fanny, the first all-women band to release an LP with a major record label (Warner/Reprise, 1970). Despite releasing 5 critically-acclaimed albums over five years, touring with famed bands from SLADE to CHICAGO and amassing a dedicated fan base of music legends including David Bowie, Fanny’s groundbreaking impact in music was written out of history… until bandmates reunite 50 years later with a new rock record deal. With incredible archival footage of the band’s rocking past intercut with its next chapter releasing a new LP today, the film includes interviews with a large cadre of music icons, including Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, The Go-Go’s Kathy Valentine, Todd Rundgren, The Runaways’ Cherie Currie, Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian, The B52’s Kate Pierson, Charles Neville and David Bowie guitarist and bassist Earl Slick and Gail Ann Dorsey.
October Country: Live Score
Directors: Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher
Country: USA; Running Time: 80 min
Shot over a year from one Halloween to the next, October Country is a deeply personal, beautifully rendered portrait of an American family struggling for stability while haunted by the ghosts of war, teen pregnancy, foster care, and child abuse. A collaboration between filmmaker Michael Palmieri and photographer and family member Donal Mosher, this vibrant and penetrating documentary examines the forces that unsettle the working poor and the violence that lurks beneath the surface of American life.
The Guatemalan Handshake (2006)
Director: Todd Rohal
Country: USA; Running Time: 96 min
In the confusion following a massive power outage, an awkward demolition derby driver (Will Oldham) vanishes, setting in motion a series of events affecting his pregnant girlfriend, his helplessly car-less father, a pack of wild boy scouts, a lactose intolerant roller rink employee, an elderly woman in search of her lost dog, and his best friend – a ten-year-old girl named Turkeylegs. Pieces of the mystery begin to come together as Turkeylegs sets out to find her missing friend. Cars drive circles in the dirt, a woman attends her own funeral, the sun rises sideways and an orange vehicle trades hands again and again. Everything eventually culminates in a massive demolition derby that throws all of the characters into different directions.
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival
SOUND UNSEEN IN MINNEAPOLIS
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival – OPENING NIGHT SELECTION
Jagged
Director: Alison Klayman
Country: USA; Running Time: 97 min
Alanis Morissette was a former child star from Ottawa who came to Los Angeles at 20 years old and poured her life experience into writing the groundbreaking album “Jagged Little Pill.” She had been dropped by her Canadian record label and yearned to be in control of her own music and styling. She started writing with producer Glen Ballard, a collaborator who truly saw her as an artist and created a space for her to be honest in her work. As they began to shop their demos around, all the major labels rejected them, but Alanis was electrified by what she was creating. When she played a tape for Guy Oseary of Maverick Records, Madonna’s boutique label, he signed her to a record deal and everything took off. The album’s rawness and emotional honesty resonated with millions and made her an overnight superstar. Her first single was the undeniable “You Oughta Know” that got walked right into on air at KROQ radio and blew up request lines immediately. What followed was an 18-month whirlwind that went from sold-out small club shows to sold-out arenas and stadiums all over the world. “Jagged Little Pill” provided the airwaves of radio and MTV with hit after hit, each one a different tone yet each one authentically Alanis. Her success in a landscape where you weren’t allowed to play two female artists back-to-back on the radio changed the game for women singer/songwriters. Jagged explores how Alanis came to be that empowered woman so many admire, and what happens when a 21-year-old becomes a worldwide phenomenon.
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
Being BeBe
Director: Emily Branham
Country: USA, Cameroon; Running Time: 93 min
Marshall Ngwa (a.k.a. renowned drag performer BeBe Zahara Benet) came to the United States and escaping the homophobia he experienced in Cameroon with dreams of a better life, and became the first winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2009. Being Bebe follows Marshall’s remarkable immigrant journey from the earliest days of his amateur drag performance career in Minneapolis, circa 2006, to his emergence as one of the leading artists in the movement to celebrate and advance Queer Black Excellence during the 2020s. With over 15 years of unfettered and intimate access to Marshall’s story, the film presents his unique love affair with performance alongside his unstoppable sense of persistence and purpose, offering an unprecedented portrait of an artist who chooses to live a creative life against all odds.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
a-ha the Movie
Director: Thomas Robsahm
Countries: Norway/Germany; Running Time: 109 min
A-ha is Norway’s biggest pop success ever and their hit “Take on Me” is still one of the most played songs of the last millennium. Everybody remembers the iconic video, of course, and the band is still selling out arenas around the world. A-ha -The Movie follows the band over a period of four years, telling the full story of how three young men followed their impossible dream of becoming Norwegian pop stars. Featuring footage of A-ha recording their fifth album, “Memorial Beach” at Paisley Park Studios nearby Minneapolis.
Deadguy: Killing Music
Director: William Saunders
Country: USA; Running Time: 85 min
This authorized documentary chronicles the chaotic short-lived career of New Jersey’s most dangerous band, Deadguy and their seminal hardcore album “Fixation on a Coworker”. Featuring never before seen pictures and videos, unearthed live audio recordings and more. Featuring interviews with every member of the band and industry peers.
Forevermoore: The Angelo Project
Director: Tisa Zito
Country: USA; Running Time: 71 min
Angelo Moore devotes his life to weaving a legacy; crafting art through spoken word, music, and fashion. With the band Fishbone, as an African American forerunner in the early 80’s LA punk rock scene, he’s inspired others to embrace nonconformity. Living the life “of the famous but not rich,” a living breathing work of art, Angelo pours ideas into everything he touches. A smiling, expressive, and deeply introspective soul, Angelo contemplates life, how his efforts have materialized in this society, and comes to terms with certain truths. Through both amusing and politically charged thought and poetic wanderings, we follow Angelo Moore through his daily inspirations and struggles. Angelo makes beauty out of darkness, all with a sense of humor and smile that could set the world on fire. The film asks many questions about the legacy and process of an artist. Through one-of-a-kind, child-like wonder, this is Angelo Moore of Fishbone.
Freakscene: The Story Of Dinosaur Jr. Midwest Premiere
Director: Philipp Reichenheim
Country: Germany; Running Time: 82 min
Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. is a homage to one of the most influential bands on the American East Coast, which inspired the rock scene – including Nirvana and many others – in the 1990s. Their style and unmistakable sound, later referred as “Grunge”, laid the foundation for the entire “Slacker” culture of Generation X. It is also the story of the eloquent and eccentric guitarist and bandleader J. Mascis, the bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph and a band that insanely does not talk to each other. Communication takes place exclusively through music. Philipp Reichenheim nevertheless manages to make the closed and shy icons speak. An emotional, tragically funny and sometimes noisy rollercoaster ride by a dysfunctional family – Dinosaur Jr. Through several decades, the film offers rare insights into the crazy everyday life of the band and illuminates the inner workings of a cult band from its beginnings in the 1980s and 90s to the present day.
Harold and Maude (1971)
Director: Hal Ashby
Country: USA; Running Time: 91 min
With the idiosyncratic American fable, Harold and Maude, countercultural director Hal Ashby (Bound for Glory, Shampoo, Being There) fashioned what would become the cult classic of its era. Working from a script by Colin Higgins, Ashby tells the story of the emotional and romantic bond between a death-obsessed young man (Bud Cort) from a wealthy family and a devil-may-care, bohemian octogenarian (Ruth Gordon). Equal parts gallows humor and romantic innocence, Harold and Maude dissolves the line between darkness and light along with the ones that separate people by class, gender, and age, and it features indelible performances and a remarkable soundtrack by Cat Stevens.
I Really Get into It: The Underage Architects of Sioux Falls Punk
Director: Brian Bieber
Country: USA; Running Time: 79 min
Largely ignored and left to their own devices, a group of unassuming teenagers in late 80s and early 90s Sioux Falls, South Dakota created their own culture, community, and economy. And when they moved out into the world at large, they brought what they learned along with them. I Really Get into It: The Underage Architects of Sioux Falls Punk is a story about the tenacity and ingenuity of youth, finding and following your convictions, and how the kids you least expect often make the most noise. Shot on location in eight cities and assembled from dozens of hours of archival video and hundreds of photos, the documentary features interviews with Larry Livermore (Lookout! Records), Ian MacKaye (Fugazi), Mike Park (Skankin’ Pickle), Rebecca Hanten (Cadillac Blindside), Terry Taylor (Hammerlord), and dozens of current and former members of the Sioux Falls all ages music scene.
Invisible
Director: T.J. Parsell
Country: USA; Running Time: 107 min
Growing up gay in the South is hard enough, but to be an openly gay woman in country music is nearly impossible. Nashville is a man’s town, yet this group of gay women have persevered anyhow – making an indelible impact on country and southern music. This film explores their deeply personal journeys while taking a piercing look at family, religion and the patriarchy of country music. Featuring Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis, Chely Wright, Mary Gauthier, Kye Fleming, Bonnie Baker, Jess Leary, Ruthie Foster, Cidny Bullens (formerly Cindy Bullens), Gretchen Peters, Dianne Davidson, Mary Ann Kennedy, Pam Rose, Cheryl Wheeler, and Virginia Team.
Listening to Kenny G
Director: Penny Lane
Country: USA; Running Time: 97 min
Kenny G is the best-selling instrumentalist of all time, and arguably the most famous living jazz musician. Listening to Kenny G is about why that makes certain people so mad. This inventive and thought-provoking documentary, directed by Penny Lane (Hail Satan?) looks at how our artistic tastes shape our personal identities and signal our social belonging. Through intimate moments with Kenny as he works on his first album in 7 years, rare archival footage of his four-decade-long career, and conversations with music critics, record executives, radio personalities, market researchers, and Kenny’s fans. Whatever your opinion, Listening to Kenny G will challenge your preconceptions about music.
My Name Is Lopez
Directors: P David Ebersole, Todd Hughes
Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min
Guitarist/singer Trini Lopez was born of undocumented Mexican immigrants and overcame all odds in 1960’s America to become one of the first Latino rock stars.
Out Of Time: The Material Issue Story World Premiere
Director: Balin Schneider
Country: USA; Running Time: 70 min
Out of Time: The Material Issue Story examines the tragic story of a rock band on the cusp of superstardom cut short by front man Jim Ellison’s suicide. The film tells the story of Material Issue, a power pop trio from Chicago that was literally out of time, sandwiched between the post-punk era of the 80’s and the alternative rock movement of the 90’s searching for its identity in the gritty world of rock and roll. The film features original band members Mike Zelenko and Ted Ansani with the first interviews of the family of Jim Ellison since his passing along with others that helped shape the world of the band including Jeff Murphy, Joe Shanahan, Jay O’Rourke, Jeff Kwatinetz, Matt Pinfield, Steve Albini and more.
Picture My Face: The Story of Teenage Head US Premiere
Director: Douglas Arrowsmith
Country: Canada; Running Time: 86 min
Legendary Canadian glamour-punk band Teenage Head is determined to enter the limelight once again some 40 years after causing the notorious punk rock riots during the summer of 1980 in Toronto. But first they need to save the band’s founding member from a debilitating depression.
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche
Director: Celeste Bell, Paul Sng
Country: UK; Running Time: 96 min
The death of punk icon and X-Ray Spex front woman Poly Styrene sends her daughter on a journey across the world and through her mother’s archives to reconcile their fraught relationship.
Poser
Director: Ori Segev, Noah Dixon
Country: USA; Running Time: 84 min
Lennon exists timidly on the sidelines of the thriving Columbus, Ohio indie music scene, yearning for a personal connection that might shepherd her into the inner sanctum of warehouse concerts, exclusive backstage, house parties and the cutting-edge art scene. As she fuels her desire for entrée into a podcast featuring live music and conversations with the artists she so fervently admires, Lennon finds inspiration for her own musical ambitions…and a growing sense of misdirected identity. Enter Bobbi Kitten, an enigmatic, striking and talented half of a popular, indie pop duo, who takes Lennon under her confident wing—unwittingly entangling herself in a dark obsession.
Rebel Dykes
Directors: Harri Shanahan, Siân A. Williams
Country: UK; Running Time: 92 min
Rebel Dykes follows a tight-knit group of friends who met at Greenham Common peace camp and went on to become artists, performers, musicians and activists in London. A heady mash-up of animation, archive footage and interviews tells the story of a radical scene: squatters, BDSM nightclubs, anti-Thatcher rallies, protests demanding action around AIDS and the fierce ties of chosen family. This is an extraordinarily privileged glimpse into a bygone world by those who not only lived out their politics with heartfelt conviction but lived to tell the tale.
Skating Polly: Ugly Pop Midwest Premiere
Director: Henry Mortensen
Country: USA; Running Time: 109 min
Peyton Bighorse and Kelli Mayo are step-sisters from Oklahoma who founded their band, Skating polly at the ages of 14 and 9, respectively. They call their style of music, “Ugly Pop”: infectious melodies, but with real-life blemishes still showing. This film is a documentary exploring the early years of Skating Polly. Peyton and Kelli get their first tastes of success, and try to stay true to themselves and their love of music. We see the sisters grow as people and musicians (including Lori Barbero and Babes in Toyland) and how they became the band they are today. Their earnestness throughout is refreshing and inspiring.
The Reverend Midwest Premiere
Director: Nick Canfield
Country: USA; Running Time: 86 min
The Reverend follows the spiritual and musical journey of Reverend Vince Anderson. After coming to New York in the 90’s to enter seminary, Vince dropped out to follow his second calling – music. With his band The Love Choir, he has played a now-legendary weekly show for over twenty years. Reconnecting with his faith and using his intense soulful music, he began to preach a type of spirituality that meets people where they are, is open to all, and moves everyone that sees him play. Reverend Vince is also deeply involved in social activism, working with other progressive faith leaders at home and around the country to build inclusive communities. Filmed over four years in a largely observational style and featuring Questlove and members of TV On the Radio, The Reverend is a raucous concert film as well as an intimate portrait of Reverend Vince’s inspiring personal and spiritual life.
This Is GWAR Midwest Premiere
Director: Scott Barber
Country: USA; Running Time: 110 min
A loose collective of art school ne’er-do-wells and filthy screaming punks, GWAR has gone from a half-assed joke band formed in 1984 to the world’s most recognized and reviled heavy metal performance art troupe. A constantly evolving band of miscreants with an abundance of ambition and a special affinity for bodily fluids, GWAR’s stage shows are the stuff of legend. But whatever the insanity onstage, perhaps even more interesting is how they got there – and that’s the story This is GWAR tells so well.
We Are the Thousand
Director: Anita Rivaroli
Country: Italy; Running Time: 80 min
In 2015, Fabio, a marine biologist with a huge passion for rock music, convinced 1,000 musicians from all over Italy to gather in Cesena to play “Learn to Fly”, the famous Foo Fighters’ hit. His aim was to convince Dave Grohl, the leader of the band, to come and play in his town. A video clip of the performance together with Fabio’s speech was published on YouTube and it was viewed more than 50 million times. Soon afterwards Dave Grohl got the message and he decided to make the dream of the thousand comes true by bringing Foo Fighters to play in the village of Cesena. That was the beginning of an incredible adventure that created the hugest community of rock music lovers ever.
Witness Underground Midwest Premiere
Director: Scott Homan
Country: USA; Running Time: 83 min
Witness Underground is a feature documentary that reveals the insular DIY artist community that emerged within the high-control Jehovah’s Witness religion in Minneapolis. Music, fame, and success are typically forbidden in the religion, which instructs its members to “beware of independent thinking.” The artists at the heart of the music scene have their faith tested in deeply personal ways. They battle for positive mental health and push the boundaries of their religion’s norms, where leaving often means being banned from interacting with your entire family and social circle for life. Although severely restricted, they create the record label Nuclear Gopher and produce over 30 albums of earnest and personal music that spans singer/songwriter, riot grrrl, psychedelic rock, pop, EDM, shoegaze, and post-rock. Carefully curated songs and live performances punctuate their stories of friendship, deep loss, and personal growth.
SHORT FILMS
Atomic Cafe: The Noisiest Corner In J-Town
Directors: Akika Boch, Tadashi Nakamura
Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min
In the late 1970’s, when L.A.’s punk rock scene was exploding, an unlikely family-owned restaurant in Little Tokyo started by Japanese Americans returning from America’s WWII concentration camps, became one its most popular hang-outs. That’s when Sansei “Atomic Nancy” with her “take-no-prisoners” punk make-up and demeanor took the café over from her parents and cranked up the jukebox. Infamous for its eclectic clientele – from Japanese American locals and kids from East L.A. to yakuza and the biggest rock stars of the day – the Atomic Café became an important part of L.A.’s punk rock history.
Eastside Punks, Episode 4: Nervous Gender
Director: Jimmy Alvarado
Country: USA; Running Time: 19 min
Although Nervous Gender found a home in Hollywood’s original punk scene and their popularity in San Francisco’s punk scene was so strong that many have mistaken them for a “Bay Area” band, their origins actually began in Los Angeles’s eastside.
Freebird
Directors: Michael Joseph McDonald, Joe Bluhm
Country: Canada; Running Time: 5 min
Freebird is the coming-of-age story of a boy with Down Syndrome who learns to navigate the world with a loving mother, an absent father, a classroom bully, and a life-long crush.
Fugazi’s Barber
Directors: Joe Tropea, Robert A. Emmons Jr.
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min
When 1980s hardcore kids frequent an old school Italian barber shop in their Washington D.C. neighborhood, legends and bonds that will last a lifetime are formed.
Madame Dishrags US Premiere
Director: Carmen Pollard
Country: Canada; Running Time: 3 min
A portrait of The Dishrags—Western Canada’s first all-girl punk band.
Never Records: Why This Record Store Isn’t a Store
Director: Jasia A. Kaulbach
Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min
Ted Riederer, the founder/artist behind #NeverRecords, aims to make art interactive and spontaneous. He records music and auditory sounds of all kinds straight to vinyl with artists in this traveling record collective.
Sound-Bodies
Director: Allegra Oxborough
Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min
Sound-Bodies is the film interpretation of a non-durational sound installation examining the intersection of sonic resonance and metaphysical transcendence, approaching the act of listening as an erotic/spiritual experience.
Stuffed
Director: Theo Rhys
Country: UK; Running Time: 20 min
A musical film about a taxidermist who dreams of stuffing a human and a man she meets online so afraid of aging he volunteers to be her specimen. An unexpected romantic spark between them complicates their plans.
Sunny Side – Portrait Of A Violin Player
Director: Hannes Greve
Country: Switzerland; Running Time: 6 min
Between studio and tour, the philosophy of Swiss violinist Tobias Preisig is omnipresent: to go beyond the boundaries of traditional violin playing.
Sunshine City
Director: Evan LaMagna
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min
After missing the last bus, rappers Ahmiya, Isaiah, and Brandon rush through the city of Berkeley to get to the most important show of their lives.
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Director: Shiyue Xu
Country: China; Running Time: 12 min
Throughout Tommy’s life, the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” has undergone many changes that mirror his journey through the different stages of his life.
MUSIC VIDEOS
J Grgry – Don’t Ever Give Up
Director: Amy Billharz
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min
J GRGRY’s Don’t Ever Give Up is an anthem for not giving up on your dreams no what people say and the obstacles you face. The video moves through three locations which symbolize different mindsets that one may experience along the journey.
Jackie Lipson – Bully
Director: Jackie Lipson
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min
This is the official music video for the new single Bully by indie pop artist Jackie Lipson.
Jayli Wolf – Child Of The Government
Director: Jayli Wolf
Country: Canada; Running Time: 4 min
From the 1950’s into the 1990’s the Canadian Government & the Catholic Church were responsible for taking, or “scooping” more than 20,000 First Nation, Métis and Inuit children from their families and communities; known as The Sixties Scoop. Many experienced severe sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Jayli’s father was one of these children.
Know Better
Director: Nolan Hieu Trifunovic
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min
We follow a young Asian man at the height of the pandemic as he deals with racism and violence.
The Ghibertins – Intro
Director: Federico Cadenazzi, Fabio R. Rossin
Country: Italy; Running Time: 4 min
Intro is the opening track of The Ghibertins’ forthcoming concept album “The Life & Death of John Doe.” John Doe is a term used when the real name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. As much as we try to leave a legacy, a sign of our passage on earth, no one will remember us in 200 years. We are all passing through this world, we are all forgettable, we are all John Doe.
SOUND UNSEEN VIRTUAL ONLY SCREENINGS
A Punk Daydream
Director: Jimmy Hendrickx
Country: Belgium; Running Time: 65 min
Indonesia, the country I shed my blood to defend. Left to fend for themselves on the fringes of a society and family that have stigmatized them, Jakarta’s young punks speak up. The conflict of teen punk Eka with his parents is driven by an intense quest for individual freedom. Meanwhile, not so far away, at one with the land and embracing similar ideals are the local traditional tribes, who have found freedom in perfect tune with nature, but struggle to maintain their identity.
Alone Together
Director: Bradley & Pablo
Country: USA, UK; Running Time: 70 min
Charli XCX, a global pop phenomenon, was riding high when she had just finished an electric headline global tour in 2019. But despite her career success, she was personally unfulfilled, anxious, and her long-term-long-distance relationship was on the brink. Everything changes when the COVID-19 pandemic turns the world upside down. Lost in the early days of quarantine Charli turns to music. She announces that she will attempt to make an album at home in 40 days by enlisting the help of her fans online while her boyfriend, Huck Kwong, moves in. The unique creative boundaries take Charli on a creative and emotional journey like no other, pushing her to the brink of disaster as she is forced to confront mental health issues, rekindle her relationship and connect with vulnerable LGBTQ+ fans in need.
The Conductor
Director: Bernadette Wegenstein
Country: USA; Running Time: 90 min
The Conductor is the story of Marin Alsop and is an inspirational story of denying naysayers and an overdue story of an internationally known American artist. The film celebrates the power of music and how it plays a role in people’s lives to bring joy, heal and reflect the world inside and around us. Marin Alsop is the first woman to serve as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. The film gives us a backstage pass to the artistry and energy that rewards her audiences and inspires her students.
The Forbidden Strings
Director: Hasan Noori
Country: Iran, Afghanistan, Qatar; Running Time: 72 min
Akbar, Soori, Mohammed and Hakim, the children of Afghan parents who fled to Iran in the 1980s, have formed a rock band. Despite the danger they will face, they dream of performing in Afghanistan.
Get Out Alive
Director: Roger Ellis
Country: USA; Running Time: 105 min
Get Out Alive is a new autobiographical musical giving voice to a troubled artist’s recovery after a suicide attempt. Using storytelling, song, dance, and visual media, Nikki Lynette’s offbeat approach to sharing her personal mental health journey shows that even when life leads us to a bad place, we can always make it out alive.
I’m an Electric Lampshade
Director: John Clayton Doyle
Country: USA; Running Time: 96 min
I’m An Electric Lampshade is an offbeat, heart-warming portrait of the world’s least likely rock star. This documentary-narrative hybrid feature tells the story of Doug McCorkle, a buttoned-up, mild-mannered corporate accountant. After retiring at age 60, Doug puts his marriage and life savings on the line to chase his wildest dream. Shot in the United States, Mexico and the Philippines, I’m An Electric Lampshade features a strong supporting cast of undiscovered talent from across the globe – all chasing the same dream as Doug. Like Sean Baker’s Tangerine, the cast is a menagerie of real people portraying versions of themselves, bringing an authenticity to the film that would be impossible to fake.
Marseille, Rap Capital! North American Premiere
Directors: Gilles ROF, Daarwin
Country: France; Running Time: 60 min
This ‘hyperlink’ documentary tells the tale of hip-hop in Marseille, a musical, cultural and societal phenomenon that built an incredible success story over the course of the last 30 years.
Talking Like Her
Directors: Natacha Giler, Adam Briscoe
Country: USA, France; Running Time: 60 min
Connie Converse was a trailblazing musician in the 1950s who bared her soul through emotionally complex songs before America was accustomed to such candor from women. After years of disappointment, Connie packed her car, said her goodbyes, and mysteriously vanished, leaving every trace of her life in neatly indexed drawers, waiting to be discovered. In Talking Like Her, director Natacha Giler pieces together the clues Connie left behind. As she tears apart the facts of her life and the legend constructed by a new generation of admirers, she questions how much the world has really changed for outcasts like Connie.
Topowa! – Never Give Up
Directors: Philip Sansom, Inigo Gilmore
Country: UK; Running Time: 80 min
This is the inspirational journey of 12 young musicians from some of the toughest slums in Uganda, to some of the biggest music stages in the world. It’s a story of resilience and hope, carried along by a joyous, foot-stomping celebration of music and life. At the heart of this film: the power of music to change lives and a charity called Brass for Africa.
We Are the Menstruators
Director: Nadia G
Country: Canada; Running Time: 92 min
We Are the Menstruators offers a brutally candid look at the life of the Montreal celebrity chef who, at the height of her TV success, abandons her cushy career to pursue her lifelong dream of fronting a feminist punk band. Enter: The Menstruators. Through financial hardships and band disputes, we see Nadia’s grit and determination as she works to make her dream come true, no matter the cost.
Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival (October 27-29 in Austin, November 10-14 in Minneapolis) announced the film lineup for this year’s 22nd edition of the popular film festival