Sound Unseen MPLS 24 lineup
The 24th Annual SOUND UNSEEN Film + Music Festival returns to Minneapolis November 8–12 with another dynamic collection of music films and music events in venues all around the city, including The Parkway Theater, Trylon Cinema, The Main Cinema, Bryant Lake Bowl, The Green Room and VFW Uptown. The full schedule and tickets are available beginning October 4th at SoundUnseen.com.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing some of the best and most buzzed about music documentaries and fiction films of the year to Minneapolis”, said Sound Unseen Festival Director Jim Brunzell. “The entire team has done an incredible job and after the success of last year’s festival, we hope the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota audiences will bring the same energy and excitement to Sound Unseen more than ever.”
Sound Unseen kicks off Wednesday, November 8th at The Parkway Theater with Director Alison Ellwood’s highly anticipated doc about Cyndi Lauper, LET THE CANARY SING.
SOUND UNSEEN OPENING NIGHT • Parkway Theater • Wednesday, November 8, 2023
LET THE CANARY SING • Directed by Alison Ellwood, USA, 2023
Chronicling Cyndi Lauper’s meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving punk style, unwavering feminism, and tireless advocacy. The film takes the audience on an engaging exploration of the world of a renowned and pioneering artist who has left an unparalleled impact on the music industry. The film features interviews with some of Cyndi’s closest friends and family members, including Boy George, Billy Porter, and Patti LaBelle.
Other highlights of the 2023 edition of SOUND UNSEEN include new documentaries about Karen Carpenter, Irvine Welsh, Gogol Bordello, Low Cut Connie, and Pete Doherty for the Closing Night film on Sunday, November 12 at The Parkway Theater.
“One of our favorite things about putting on this festival is presenting a mix of new films that have never been seen in MN, and sometimes North America or the world, and mixing them with anniversary screenings of films we love from years past, said Sound Unseen Program Director Rich Gill. “This year is no exception with anniversary screenings of such diverse films as SKATEBOARD and THE PUNK SINGER along with North American premieres of films about Pete Doherty and Irvine Welsh.”
SOUND UNSEEN CLOSING NIGHT • Parkway Theater • Sunday, November 12, 2023
PETER DOHERTY: STRANGER IN MY OWN SKIN - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Directed by Katia de Vidas, USA, 2023
A portrait of musician and artist Peter Doherty (The Libertines, Babyshambles) as he tries to pursue his career while battling addiction. Torn between the needs of his inner life and the demands of the outside world, he dares to face all the demons to overcome this misunderstood disease.
SOUND UNSEEN HIGHLIGHTS
KAREN CARPENTER: STARVING FOR PERFECTION - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Randy Martin, USA, 2022
As the #1 American musical act of the 1970s, The Carpenters were on “Top of the World,” producing a string of pop masterpieces, including “Close to You,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.” But behind closed doors, Karen’s quest for perfection resulted in low self-esteem, a disheartening love life, and a public battle with anorexia nervosa, which resulted in her untimely death at the age of only 32. For the first time, we hear Karen Carpenter’s personal struggle in her own voice through never-before-released recordings – and through the legendary voices of those who knew her and were inspired by her music, including Carol Burnett, Olivia Newton-John, Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Gibb, Suzanne Somers, and Belinda Carlisle.
WE ARE FUGAZI FROM WASHINGTON D.C. - MIDWEST PREMIERE
Directed by Joe Gross, Joseph Pattisall, & Jeff Krulik, USA, 2023
To commemorate the 20 years that have passed since DC-based post-hardcore band Fugazi’s last live appearance, We Are Fugazi From Washington, DC comprises crowd-sourced, fan-recorded live shows and rare archival footage to pay tribute to Fugazi’s prowess as a live act — for old fans to remember and for a new generation to discover what they missed. This unique archival assemblage celebrates the fans and their cameras, as much as the band itself — a collision/collusion of the ephemeral moment on stage, and the moments captured on camera.
SCREAM OF MY BLOOD: A GOGOL BORDELLO STORY - MIDWEST PREMIERE, CO-DIRECTORS NATE POMMER, ERIC WEINRIB, PRODUCER BEVERLY CHASE & SUBJECT EUGENE HUTZ ATTENDING!
Directed by Nate Pommer & Eric Weinrib, USA, 2023
Capturing the raucous atmosphere of their live performances, this frenetic globe-trotting history of the immigrant punk band Gogol Bordello spans the final days of the Soviet Union all the way to pre-9/11 New York, and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. The filmmakers’ intimate access to the band, through footage captured both on and offstage, virtually turns the audience into an army of roadies and students, with Ukrainian-born frontman Eugene Hütz acting as the film’s guide and anchor. Though the ongoing war in Ukraine has piqued America’s curiosity about Ukrainian culture, Scream of My Blood does not let that conflict define it.
SOUND UNSEEN’s Centerpiece Film is ART DEALERS, a unique hybrid-genre concert film directed by and starring rock n roll performance artist Low Cut Connie, aka Adam Weiner – who will light up the First Avenue stage Saturday, October 7 before returning to Minneapolis for his SOUND UNSEEN screening on Friday, November 10 at The Parkway Theater.
SOUND UNSEEN CENTERPIECE • Friday, November 10, 2023
ART DEALERS - MIDWEST PREMIERE / CO-DIRECTORS ROY POWER & ADAM WEINER ATTENDING!
Directed by Roy Power & Adam Weiner USA, 2023, Documentary
Depicting a stunning 3-show run in 2022 New York City, this unique hybrid-genre concert film set against 5 years of documentary footage that explores the struggle, frustrations, and humor of living a working-class "art life" in modern America. ART DEALERS follows eccentric rock n roll performance artist Adam Weiner, aka Low Cut Connie, and his band and crew as they attempt to mount a concert production of their new 'Art Dealers' album for a 3 night run in Covid-era New York City.
SOUND UNSEEN hits rewind with several Anniversary Screenings, including the 10th Anniversary of THE PUNK SINGER about Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna with Director Sini Anderson attending, the 45th AnniversarySKATEBOARD: THE MOVIE, and the 25th Anniversary of Todd Haynes’ Bowie-esque VELVET GOLDMINE and Danny Boyle’s TRAINSPOTTING—which pairs perfectly with the North American Premiere of CHOOSE IRVINE WELSH, a riveting new doc about the iconoclast author of the Trainspotting.
SOUND UNSEEN ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS
VELVET GOLDMINE - 25th ANNIVERSARY
Directed by Todd Haynes, USA/UK, 1998, Fiction
Glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Myers) predicts his death on stage and, shortly after, fakes his own death and is exposed as a fraud. A decade later, a reporter and former fan (Christian Bale) tracks down the former rocker to write an article on his life and downfall. Arthur interviews the man who discovered Slade and a peer (Ewan McGregor) to understand Slade's motivations.
THE PUNK SINGER - 10th ANNIVERSARY / DIRECTOR SINI ANDERSON ATTENDING!
Directed by Sini Anderson, USA, 2013, Documentary
Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre, rose to national attention as the reluctant but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement. She became one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons, a cultural lightning rod. Her critics wished she would just shut up, and her fans hoped she never would. So in 2005, when Hanna stopped shouting, many wondered why.
SKATEBOARD: THE MOVIE - 45th ANNIVERSARY / NEW RESTORATION
Directed by George Gage, USA, 1978, Fiction
Skateboard was the first feature film to depict the height of the 70s skateboard craze. Many refer to it as the Bad News Bears of the sport. It’s star-studded cast includes Alan Garfield, 70s teen idol Leif Garrett, skateboarding legend Tony Alva, and iconic female freestyler and member of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame Ellen O’Neal.
TRAINSPOTTING - SPECIAL SCREENING
Directed by Danny Boyle, UK, 1996
Smart, funny, sickly and sometimes just plain unconscious, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) is a hero of our times. Set in an underbelly of Edinburgh the city fathers never dreamed of, this is the story of Mark and his so-called friends--a bunch of losers, liars, psychos, thieves and junkies. This tragic-comedy charts the disintegration of their friendship as they proceed, seemingly inevitably, towards self-destruction. Featuring an iconic soundtrack with tracks by Iggy Pop, Underworld, New Order, Blur, Brian Eno, Pulp, Leftfield, Elastica, Primal Scream and Lou Reed.
CHOOSE IRVINE WELSH - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE / DIRECTOR IAN JEFFRIES ATTENDING!
Directed by Ian Jefferies, UK, 2023
From his early days in Leith to his times in London, San Francisco, and Miami, iconoclast author Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting, Filth, Porno) has always had a restless mind and a particular genius for capturing the dynamics, language, and sheer buzzing energy of life. In a documentary rich with personal archive material, Welsh relays his own story and philosophy with characteristic wit, while a roll call of admirers including Iggy Pop, Martin Compston, Danny Boyle, Bobbie Gillespie, Gail Porter, Rowetta, and Andrew Macdonald share their passion for the books and subsequent film adaptations.
The full 2023 SOUND UNSEEN lineup follows—and underscores why Moviemaker Magazine named SU one of 2022’s “20 Great Film Festivals For First-Time Filmmakers,” rounding out a trifecta of honors Moviemaker has bestowed upon SOUND UNSEEN over the years, including being twice-named “One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World” in 2016 and 2019!
SPONSORS for this year’s SOUND UNSEEN include:
The Work Place, The Current, KUTX, Racket, Austin Chronicle, Moxy Minneapolis Uptown Hotel, The Frances, Pryes Brewing Company, Sociable Cider Werks, Selig Polyscope Co., and Extreme Noise Records.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS include:
FilmNorth, KFAI Radio, The Parkway Theater, Trylon Cinema, Bryant Lake Bowl, The Main Cinema, Uptown VFW, The Green Room, Booshie, Twin Cities Gay Scene, Twin Cities Film Festival, East Lake Legal, MCAD, Books & Bars, Reverie Cafe + Bar, and Hi-Flora.
FEATURE FILMS A - Z
ART DEALERS - MIDWEST PREMIERE / CENTERPIECE FILM / CO-DIRECTORS ADAM WEINER & ROY POWER ATTENDING!
Co-Directed by Roy Power & Adam Weiner USA, 2023
Depicting a stunning 3-show run in 2022 New York City, this unique hybrid-genre concert film set against 5 years of documentary footage that explores the struggle, frustrations, and humor of living a working-class "art life" in modern America. ART DEALERS follows eccentric rock n roll performance artist Adam Weiner, aka Low Cut Connie, and his band and crew as they attempt to mount a concert production of their new 'Art Dealers' album for a 3 night run in Covid-era New York City.
BAD LIKE BROOKLYN DANCEHALL - MIDWEST PREMIERE, DIRECTOR BEN DIGIACOMO & PRODUCER AMY DIGIACOMO ATTENDING!
Directed by Ben DiGiacomo, Dutty Vannier, Jamaica, 2023
Bad Like Brooklyn Dancehall explores the ‘80s and ‘90s emergence of dancehall as Jamaican immigrants brought the music, dancing, and vibes of their home to New York City. Nicknamed the 15th Parish of Jamaica, New York City became home to an influential movement that saw dancehall rise alongside hip-hop and eventually spread across the country.
BERLIN: SYMPHONY OF A METROPOLIS - FEATURING A LIVE SCORE w/ KATIE CONDON!
Directed by Walther Ruttmann, Germany, 1927
Events are arranged to simulate the passage of a single day Shots and scenes are cut together based on relationships of image, motion, point of view, and thematic content. At times, a sort of non-narrative commentary can be implied, as in edits that juxtapose workers entering a factory with cattle being beaten and driven into a corral. The five-reel film is divided into five acts, and each act is announced through a title card at the beginning and end. Features a live score by musician Katie Condon.
BORN INNOCENT: THE REDD KROSS STORY - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE / DIRECTOR ANDREW REICH ATTENDING!
Directed by Andrew Reich, USA, 2023
Formed in 1978 by brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald, and still actively playing and recording today, Redd Kross are the ultimate rock and roll lifers. They have influenced independent music in ways that beg to be acknowledged. From helping invent Beach Punk to influencing the Grunge and Glam Metal movements, Redd Kross have maintained the highest level of musical integrity, originality and quality for over forty years.
CHOOSE IRVINE WELSH - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE / DIRECTOR IAN JEFFRIES ATTENDING!
Directed by Ian Jefferies, UK, 2023
From his early days in Leith to his times in London, San Francisco, and Miami, iconoclast author Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting, Filth, Porno) has always had a restless mind and a particular genius for capturing the dynamics, language, and sheer buzzing energy of life. In a documentary rich with personal archive material, Welsh relays his own story and philosophy with characteristic wit, while a roll call of admirers including Iggy Pop, Martin Compston, Danny Boyle, Gail Porter, Rowetta, and Andrew Macdonald share their passion for the books and subsequent film adaptations.
CORA BORA - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Hannah Pearl Utt, USA, 2022
Comedy queen Megan Stalter lights up the screen like a ticking time bomb in her leading role debut as the titular anti-heroine of this socially explosive comedy of errors. Messy, delusional, and unwilling to establish a boundary, Cora shuffles between open mics as an aspiring musician in her adopted home of Los Angeles with little to no success — but when she suspects her long-distance girlfriend of moving on and beginning a new romance without telling her, she packs up and heads home on a mission to save (or, hold hostage) her flailing relationship. Featuring an all-star supporting cast including Manny Jacinto, Chelsea Peretti, Margaret Cho, and more, Utt’s spiky sophomore feature crafts incisive cringe comedy from the main character syndrome gripping our self-centered times while offering redemption in the form of acceptance for the things we cannot change.
CYPHER - MIDWEST PREMIERE / DIRECTED CHRIS MOUKARBEL ATTENDING!
Directed by Chris Moukarbel, USA, 2023
Winner of the 2023 Tribeca Festival U.S. Narrative Feature Award, CYPHER is a visually rich, self-aware, and captivating artistic showcase that opens as many doors of perception as it closes. Tierra Whack first gained recognition at the age of 15 when she stunned viewers with her slick poetry while rapping for a YouTube channel on a Philadelphia street. Years later, director Chris Moukarbel begins documenting her astronomical rise, going behind the scenes of concerts and music videos as she navigates fame and receives exalted praise from stars like Erykah Badu and Billie Eilish. One night a seemingly innocuous fan interaction begins a series of increasingly unsettling events that swirl around Tierra and her team — even following them to Dubai. They soon start questioning who is filming whom and whether being seen (or watched) is a desirable and unavoidable part of fame.
EVEN HELL HAS ITS HEROES - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Clyde Peterson, USA, 2023
Since 1989, the slowest metal band on the planet has conjured some of music’s most striking tectonic changes. Not only did the band Earth create a glacially paced subgenre of metal and play a pivotal role in the popularization of grunge, but visionary leader Dylan Carlson also did it while battling small-town boredom, heroin addiction, and the tragic death of his roommate and best friend, Kurt Cobain.
FANTASTIC NEGRITO: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET? - MN PREMIERE / DIRECTORS YVAN ITURRIAGA & FRANCISCO NUNEZ ATTENDING!
Yvan Iturriaga, Francisco Nuñez, USA, 2022
Iconoclastic bluesman Fantastic Negrito faces his demons as he records his third Grammy-winning album. Digging deep into his turbulent past, he searches to answer the question: in a sick society, how do you keep from going crazy?
GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Dan Covert, USA. 2023
You may not know his name, but his art is everywhere. It’s on your Apple watch, splashed on the sides of buildings, exhibited in countless galleries around the world, in title designs for films by Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze, and featured in collabs with Vans, Warby Parker, Nike, and more. One of the most prolific artists of his time, Geoff McFetridge has undoubtedly influenced the way the world looks. Deeply thoughtful and illuminating, Drawing a Life reveals the details of McFetridge’s life and work while delving further into the universal questions of what makes a fulfilling life and how to live with intention in the limited time we all have.
KAREN CARPENTER: STARVING FOR PERFECTION - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Randy Martin, USA, 2022
As the #1 American musical act of the 1970s, The Carpenters were on “Top of the World,” producing a string of pop masterpieces, including “Close to You,” “We’ve Only Just Begun,” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.” But behind closed doors, Karen’s quest for perfection resulted in low self-esteem, a disheartening love life, and a public battle with anorexia nervosa, which resulted in her untimely death at the age of only 32. For the first time, we hear Karen Carpenter’s personal struggle in her own voice through never-before-released recordings – and through the legendary voices of those who knew her and were inspired by her music, including Carol Burnett, Olivia Newton-John, Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Gibb, Suzanne Somers, and Belinda Carlisle.
KICK OUT THE JAMS: THE STORY OF XFM - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE / CO-DIRECTOR IAN JEFFERIES ATTENDING!
Directed by Ray Burdis & Ian Jefferies, UK, 2022 - Titled after the first-ever song to play on their airwaves, Kick Out the Jams follows the development of XFM from its rebellious pirate radio roots in the early 90's, through to its official FM radio launch in 1997 as a major platform for launching alternative talent into the mainstream. The doc deep-dives into the struggles and influence of the station which gave rise to the likes of Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, whose global hits The Office and The Ricky Gervais Show were originally developed while working at the radio station. XFM also unlocks its rich musical vault, including rare footage and unseen photos of The Cure, Oasis, Pete Doherty and Carl Barat of the Libertines and Blur, allowing an intimate look into the station at the center of the Britpop craze of the 90s.
LET THE CANARY SING - OPENING NIGHT FILM / MN PREMIERE
Directed by Alison Ellwood, USA, 2023,
Chronicling Cyndi Lauper’s meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving punk style, unwavering feminism, and tireless advocacy. The film takes the audience on an engaging exploration of the world of a renowned and pioneering artist who has left a unparalleled impact on the music industry. The film features interviews with some of Cyndi’s closest friends and family members, including Boy George, Billy Porter, and Patti LaBelle.
LOST ANGEL: THE GENIUS OF JUDEE SILL MN PREMIERE
Directed by Brian Lindstrom, Andy Brown, USA, 2022
Impatient and ambitious, David Geffen was a young William Morris agent who decided to start his own record label in 1971, Asylum Records, with four featured artists-- Jackson Browne, Glenn Frey, Linda Ronstadt and Judee Sill. The film charts the vertiginous arc of Judee’s life from a deeply troubled adolescence of abuse, addiction and prison through her meteoric rise in the music world. She went from living in a car with four others sleeping in shifts to appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in four years. Yet, for Judee, success and happiness were fleeting. While her singular sound was critically adored, her albums did not sell. Although she continued to write and record, Judee was injured in an auto accident which put her in constant pain and forced her to rely again on narcotics until she died of an overdose in 1979.
LOST SOULZ - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Katherine Propper, USA, 2023
Set to a lo-fi, genre-bending soundtrack, Lost Soulz follows a young rapper as he leaves behind his surrogate family and sets out on an expedition across Texas, contemplating new and old friendships.
LOUDER THAN YOU THINK MN PREMIERE
Directed by Jed I. Rosenberg, USA, 2023
Winner of the SXSW 2023 Audience Award for the 24 Beats Per Second section, an up-close cinematic walkabout through the life of Gary Young, the original (and highly unlikely) drummer of indie rock royalty Pavement. His booze and drugs-fuelled antics (on-stage handstands, gifting vegetables to fans) and haphazard production methods (accidentally helping launch the lo-fi aesthetic) were both a driving force of the band’s early rise and the cause of his eventual crash landing.
MARGINS (MARGINI) - MIDWEST PREMIERE
Directed by Niccolò Falsetti, Italy, 2022
A punk band finds itself in a sticky situation in Niccolò Falsetti’s charming and funny debut feature. Set in Grosseto in 2008, the film follows three bandmates as they receive the biggest opportunity of their short careers, opening for the American hardcore band The Defense at a gig in Bologna. When the concert is canceled, the penniless punks bite off more than they can chew, inviting The Defense to play a make-up show in Grosseto and setting in motion a chain of events wherein the boys will discover just how in over their heads they truly are.
THE PEOPLE’S JOKER - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Vera Drew, USA, 2022
After years numbing herself with irony and an inhalant called Smylex, an unfunny aspiring clown grapples with gender identity, first love, and old foes all while founding an illegal comedy theater in Gotham City. It’s a queer coming of age Joker parody. Completely unlicensed by DC and Warner Brothers. Starring and directed by Vera Drew (“Beef House,” “Who Is America”) and featuring the work of 200 independent artists on three separate continents, all made during a global pandemic!
PETER DOHERTY: STRANGER IN MY OWN SKIN - CLOSING NIGHT FILM / NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Directed by Katia de Vidas, USA, 2023
A portrait of musician and artist Pete Doherty (The Libertines, Babyshambles) as he tries to pursue his musical career while battling addiction. Torn between the needs of his inner life and the demands of the outside world, he dares to face all the demons to overcome this misunderstood disease.
PLAY BY EAR: A D.I.Y. DOC MN PREMIERE
Directed by Alexei Shishkin, USA, 2023
Can independent art and a DIY ethos thrive in a world that seems less hospitable by the day?
PLAY BY EAR uses the Treefort Music Fest (Boise, ID) as a window into the lives of touring musicians at various stages of their careers to see the grit and grind that go into putting on a show, surviving on the road, and building a local art community. Featuring interviews with Treefort founders and artists including Built to Spill, Blood Lemon, Prism B!tch, Magic Sword, and others.
PLAY WITH THE DEVIL - BECOMING ZEAL & ARDOR - MIDWEST PREMIERE
Directed by Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi, Switzerland, 2022
With his band Zeal & Ardor, Manuel Gagneux is catapulted overnight from the underground to the big stages of the world. The bold mix of Black Metal and old work songs and field hollers by African-American slaves – his answer to a racist provocation on the Internet – is politically explosive and breaking all kinds of taboos. But being praised as a new kind of leader by his fans pushes the introverted artist into an existential crisis. Will he find a way to protect his creative integrity and deal with oversized expectations?
THE PUNK SINGER - 10th ANNIVERSARY
Directed by Sini Anderson, USA, 2013, Documentary
Kathleen Hanna, lead singer of the punk band Bikini Kill and dance-punk trio Le Tigre, rose to national attention as the reluctant but never shy voice of the riot grrrl movement. She became one of the most famously outspoken feminist icons, a cultural lightning rod. Her critics wished she would just shut up, and her fans hoped she never would. So in 2005, when Hanna stopped shouting, many wondered why.
RUNAWAY RADIO - WORLD PREMIERE / DIRECTOR MIKE MCGUFF & PRODUCER JEFFERY BROWN ATTENDING!
Directed by Mike McGuff, USA, 2023
A legendary Houston, TX rock radio station broke new records, defined the culture, and attracted top music artists, all while whipping listeners into a frenzy. Like an out-of-control locomotive, 101 KLOL seemed unstoppable until the government stepped in. What happened to rock radio? Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top’s Dusty Hill, Melissa Etheridge and Sammy Hagar, along with top DJs from across the US, reflect on how radio changed their lives, and why it’s now hard to find rock on the FM dial.
SCREAM OF MY BLOOD: A GOGOL BORDELLO STORY - MIDWEST PREMIERE / CO-DIRECTORS NATE POMMER, ERIC WEINRIB, PRODUCER BEVERLY CHASE & SUBJECT EUGENE HUTZ ATTENDING!
Directed by Nate Pommer & Eric Weinrib, USA, 2023
Capturing the raucous atmosphere of their live performances, this frenetic globe-trotting history of the immigrant punk band Gogol Bordello spans the final days of the Soviet Union all the way to pre-9/11 New York, and the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. The filmmakers’ intimate access to the band, through footage captured both on and offstage, virtually turns the audience into an army of roadies and students, with Ukrainian-born frontman Eugene Hütz acting as the film’s guide and anchor.
SKATEBOARD: THE MOVIE - 45th ANNIVERSARY / NEW RESTORATION!
Directed by George Gage, USA, 1978
Skateboard was the first feature film to depict the height of the 70s skateboard craze. Many refer to it as the Bad News Bears of the sport. It’s star-studded cast includes Alan Garfield, 70s teen idol Leif Garrett, skateboarding legend Tony Alva, and iconic female freestyler and member of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame Ellen O’Neal.
TRAINSPOTTING - SPECIAL SCREENING
Directed by Danny Boyle, UK/USA, 1996
Smart, funny, sickly and sometimes just plain unconscious, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) is a hero of our times. Set in an underbelly of Edinburgh the city fathers never dreamed of, this is the story of Mark and his so-called friends--a bunch of losers, liars, psychos, thieves and junkies. This tragic-comedy charts the disintegration of their friendship as they proceed, seemingly inevitably, towards self-destruction. Mark alone has the insight and opportunity to escape his fate--but does he really want to "choose life"? Featuring an iconic soundtrack with tracks by Iggy Pop, Underworld, New Order, Blur, Brian Eno, Pulp, Leftfield, Elastica, Primal Scream and Lou Reed.
VELVET GOLDMINE - 25th ANNIVERSARY
Directed by Todd Haynes, USA/UK, 1998, Fiction
Glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Myers) predicts his death on stage and, shortly after, fakes his own death and is exposed as a fraud. A decade later, a reporter and former fan (Christian Bale) tracks down the former rocker to write an article on his life and downfall. Arthur interviews the man who discovered Slade and a peer (Ewan McGregor) to understand Slade's motivations.
WE ARE FUGAZI FROM WASHINGTON D.C. - MIDWEST PREMIERE / CO-DIRECTOR JEFF KRULIK ATTENDING!
Directed by Joe Gross, Joseph Pattisall, & Jeff Krulik, USA, 2023
To commemorate the 20 years that have passed since DC-based post-hardcore band Fugazi’s last live appearance, We Are Fugazi From Washington, DC comprises crowd-sourced, fan-recorded live shows and rare archival footage to pay tribute to Fugazi’s prowess as a live act — for old fans to remember and for a new generation to discover what they missed. This unique archival assemblage celebrates the fans and their cameras, as much as the band itself — a collision/collusion of the ephemeral moment on stage, and the moments captured on camera.
WITH PETER BRADLEY - MN PREMIERE
Directed by Alex Rappoport, USA, 2023
This intimate documentary portrait is the product of a collaboration between filmmaker Alex Rappoport and abstract artist Peter Bradley, who both live in Saugerties, NY. When the two met in January, 2020, Peter was 79 and had neither sold many paintings nor had a major show in over four decades – yet he still painted every day in and around a shipping-container studio, heated by a wood stove, no matter what the weather.
SHORT FILMS
AIX-HALE THE ODYSSEY OF CLEVE & MIKE
BASEBALL FURIES ONE MORE SONG: LOVE LETTERS TO DIY
BLACK STRINGS TAKING BACK THE GROOVE
CONSENSUAL WALLOWING BULL
FLOWER THE WEENIES
HOPE YOU LIKE IT WHERE YOU WANT ME
THE LAST TRAIN WILD DOGS
MISSISSIPPI CREATES: BIG CLOWN