Travelers on the journey that is the packed Fall 2009 Twin Cities film bonanza will arrive next week at a major landmark: the 10th Annual Sound Unseen Festival, one of the foremost "films-on-music" festival in the country. From Sept. 29 - Oct. 4, nearly two dozen documentaries and feature films will play at the Trylon microcinema and Oak Street Cinema (the latter once again showing its impressive resiliency this fall), and a few more will play at the Walker Art Center and Cedar Cultural Center. In and around these screenings will be performances by local musical acts representing nearly every genre. Festival co-director Rick Hansen recently told me that he had hoped to get a handful of Sound Unseen alumni (including Atmosphere and Solid Gold) to come and perform for this 10th anniversary, but they're just plain too big now for these small venues. In other words, check out these bands now before you have to pay to see them at a sold-out First Ave. show in a couple years.
The one bit of a bad luck Sound Unseen might face this year is that it falls on the same weekend that A Serious Man opens locally. But on the other hand, that's only playing at the Uptown, so all of the hundreds of people out of luck at the sellouts will have to go elsewhere and see a different movie.
Either way I'm including the full film schedule here, but I'd like to pick out a few of them to highlight. It's worth mentioning here at some point that last year's Sound Unseen hosted the local premieres of both War Child and Anvil! The Story of Anvil.
I haven't seen any of the following but I have a couple on hand that I'm planning to watch; check back next week for reviews:
R.E.M.: This Is Not a Show (click to watch trailer) - This opens the festival and is actually the world premiere of this documentary about the popular 90's band rehearsing before a five-night set in Dublin in 2007. So I guess it's not exactly fair to call them a 90's band.
Either way I'm including the full film schedule here, but I'd like to pick out a few of them to highlight. It's worth mentioning here at some point that last year's Sound Unseen hosted the local premieres of both War Child and Anvil! The Story of Anvil.
I haven't seen any of the following but I have a couple on hand that I'm planning to watch; check back next week for reviews:
R.E.M.: This Is Not a Show (click to watch trailer) - This opens the festival and is actually the world premiere of this documentary about the popular 90's band rehearsing before a five-night set in Dublin in 2007. So I guess it's not exactly fair to call them a 90's band.
Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (official website) - Jazz, Boston, romance, shot in black and white on 16mm. What more do you need to know?
Bound for Glory (click to watch trailer) - Hal Ashby's1976 Oscar winner stars the late David Carradine as Woody Guthrie. It's consider to be one of the best ever musical biopics ever, a genre that had a bit of a resurgence a couple of years ago and now seems to have returned to a latent state.
P-Star Rising (official website) - Documentary about a young Harlem girl with a talent for rapping that her father, a once-promising rapper of his own, hopes will bring the family the success and financial stability he was unable to provide.
Dig! (click to watch trailer) - This documentary, a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, is actually making its second appearance at Sound Unseen (also played in 2005). Follows the rivalry and careers of Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols. Directory Ondi Timoner will be present and receiving an award from Sound Unseen.
We Live in Public (official website) - Also directed by Ondi Timoner, this closing night documentary has been buzzed on the festival circuit since it won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in January, and it's actually opening theatrically nationwide this November (currently booked for 11/20 at the Lagoon). Apparently it gives some insight into what's in store for us as we willingly give up our privacy, and as the internet takes over and our physical world becomes a virtual world. Sounds fascinating, and you can see it now before it opens in November.
Here's the full schedule:
P-Star Rising (official website) - Documentary about a young Harlem girl with a talent for rapping that her father, a once-promising rapper of his own, hopes will bring the family the success and financial stability he was unable to provide.
We Live in Public (official website) - Also directed by Ondi Timoner, this closing night documentary has been buzzed on the festival circuit since it won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in January, and it's actually opening theatrically nationwide this November (currently booked for 11/20 at the Lagoon). Apparently it gives some insight into what's in store for us as we willingly give up our privacy, and as the internet takes over and our physical world becomes a virtual world. Sounds fascinating, and you can see it now before it opens in November.
Here's the full schedule:
Tuesday, September 29th
7:00 PM R.E.M. :THIS IS NOT A SHOW
Vincent Moon 2009 | Documentary, Featured, Opening Night Film |
59 min. Cedar Cultural Center
7:30 PM ROCK PROPHECIES
JOHN CHESTER 2009 | Documentary, In Competition |
79 min. Trylon Microcinema
7:00 PM DIED YOUNG STAYED PRETTY
Eileen Yaghoobian 2008 | Documentary |
95 min. Walker Art Center
7:00 PM BOUND FOR GLORY
Hal Ashby 1976 | Narrative Film |
147 min. Trylon Microcinema
9:45 PM PUNCHING THE CLOWN
Gregori Viens 2009 | Narrative Film |
91 min. Trylon Microcinema
7:00 PM TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION
Peter Esmonde 2008 | Documentary, In Competition |
79 min. Trylon Microcinema
7:15 PM ICONS AMONG US: JAZZ IN THE PRESENT TENSE
Michael Rivoira, Lars Larson and Peter J.Vogt 2009 |
Documentary, In Competition | 101 min. Oak St. Cinema
9:00 PM INTERNATIONAL SHORTS PROGRAM
Jeff Krulik, Sean Dunne, Jem Cohen, Paul Lovelace, Sam Taylor Wood, Danny Mooney, Josh Aiello, Jeffrey Peixoto, Jessica Wolfson 2009 | Shorts Program |
87 min. Trylon Microcinema
9:30 PM STINGRAY SAM
Cory McAbee 2009 | Featured, Narrative Film |
65 min. Oak St. Cinema
11:30 PM 1st Annual Sound Unseen *Secret Screening*
Films | 90 min. Oak St. Cinema
2:00 PM BOUND FOR GLORY
Hal Ashby 1976 | Narrative Film |
147 min. Trylon Microcinema
4:30 PM THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT
Cory McAbee 2001 | Featured, Narrative Film |
91 min. Oak St. Cinema
5:00 PM P-STAR RISING
Gabriel Noble 2009 | Documentary, In Competition |
83 min. Trylon Microcinema
6:45 PM GUY AND MADELINE AND A PARK BENCH
Damien Chazelle 2009 | Narrative Film |
82 min. Trylon Microcinema
7:00 PM LOCAL SHORTS PROGRAM
2009 | Shorts Program |
120 min. Oak St. Cinema
8:45 PM ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES
All Tomorrow’s People and Jonathan Caouette 2009 | Documentary |
82 min. Trylon Microcinema
9:30 PM DIG!
Ondi Timoner 2004 | Documentary, Featured |
107 min. Oak St. Cinema
11:59 PM UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US
Audrey Ewell & Aaron Aites 2008 | Documentary, In Competition |
93 min. Oak St. Cinema
1:00 PM ED THIGPEN: MASTER OF TIME, RHYTHM, AND TASTE
Don McGlynn 2009 | Documentary |
91 min. Oak St. Cinema
3:00 PM NON-STOP: GOGOL BORDELLO
Margarita Jimeno 2008 | Documentary |
87 min. Cedar Cultural Center
4:30 PM IN SEARCH OF BEETHOVEN
Phil Grabsky 2009 | Documentary |
139 min. (?!?!?!, wow that's long) Oak St. Cinema
5:00 PM D-TOUR
Jim Granato 2009 | Documentary, In Competition |
99 min. Cedar Cultural Center
7:30 PM WE LIVE IN PUBLIC
Ondi Timoner 2009 | Closing Night Film, Documentary, Featured |
90 min. Cedar Cultural Center
Vincent Moon 2009 | Documentary, Featured, Opening Night Film |
59 min. Cedar Cultural Center
Wednesday, September 30th
7:30 PM ROCK PROPHECIES
JOHN CHESTER 2009 | Documentary, In Competition |
79 min. Trylon Microcinema
Thursday, October 1st
7:00 PM DIED YOUNG STAYED PRETTY
Eileen Yaghoobian 2008 | Documentary |
95 min. Walker Art Center
7:00 PM BOUND FOR GLORY
Hal Ashby 1976 | Narrative Film |
147 min. Trylon Microcinema
9:45 PM PUNCHING THE CLOWN
Gregori Viens 2009 | Narrative Film |
91 min. Trylon Microcinema
Friday, October 2nd
7:00 PM TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION
Peter Esmonde 2008 | Documentary, In Competition |
79 min. Trylon Microcinema
7:15 PM ICONS AMONG US: JAZZ IN THE PRESENT TENSE
Michael Rivoira, Lars Larson and Peter J.Vogt 2009 |
Documentary, In Competition | 101 min. Oak St. Cinema
9:00 PM INTERNATIONAL SHORTS PROGRAM
Jeff Krulik, Sean Dunne, Jem Cohen, Paul Lovelace, Sam Taylor Wood, Danny Mooney, Josh Aiello, Jeffrey Peixoto, Jessica Wolfson 2009 | Shorts Program |
87 min. Trylon Microcinema
9:30 PM STINGRAY SAM
Cory McAbee 2009 | Featured, Narrative Film |
65 min. Oak St. Cinema
11:30 PM 1st Annual Sound Unseen *Secret Screening*
Films | 90 min. Oak St. Cinema
Saturday, October 3rd
2:00 PM BOUND FOR GLORY
Hal Ashby 1976 | Narrative Film |
147 min. Trylon Microcinema
4:30 PM THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT
Cory McAbee 2001 | Featured, Narrative Film |
91 min. Oak St. Cinema
5:00 PM P-STAR RISING
Gabriel Noble 2009 | Documentary, In Competition |
83 min. Trylon Microcinema
6:45 PM GUY AND MADELINE AND A PARK BENCH
Damien Chazelle 2009 | Narrative Film |
82 min. Trylon Microcinema
7:00 PM LOCAL SHORTS PROGRAM
2009 | Shorts Program |
120 min. Oak St. Cinema
8:45 PM ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES
All Tomorrow’s People and Jonathan Caouette 2009 | Documentary |
82 min. Trylon Microcinema
9:30 PM DIG!
Ondi Timoner 2004 | Documentary, Featured |
107 min. Oak St. Cinema
11:59 PM UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US
Audrey Ewell & Aaron Aites 2008 | Documentary, In Competition |
93 min. Oak St. Cinema
Sunday, October 4th
1:00 PM ED THIGPEN: MASTER OF TIME, RHYTHM, AND TASTE
Don McGlynn 2009 | Documentary |
91 min. Oak St. Cinema
3:00 PM NON-STOP: GOGOL BORDELLO
Margarita Jimeno 2008 | Documentary |
87 min. Cedar Cultural Center
4:30 PM IN SEARCH OF BEETHOVEN
Phil Grabsky 2009 | Documentary |
139 min. (?!?!?!, wow that's long) Oak St. Cinema
5:00 PM D-TOUR
Jim Granato 2009 | Documentary, In Competition |
99 min. Cedar Cultural Center
7:30 PM WE LIVE IN PUBLIC
Ondi Timoner 2009 | Closing Night Film, Documentary, Featured |
90 min. Cedar Cultural Center
Hey Dan!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure if I were there, I pick out several in this distinguished line-up to view. I have already seen WE LIVE IN PUBLIC and the Hal Ashby classic BOUND FOR GLORY, and just last night watched IN SEARCH OF BEETHOVEN at the Cinema Village. PUBLIC doesn't always work, but it's an audacious piece that broaches some issues we haven't set seen in a feature or documentary film. BEETHOVEN is indeed longish, but when you're dealing with this iconic figure, you have a built-in level of fascination. For the most part the combination of talking heads, re-enactments and drawings combined (with a generous dose of great music) to offer some enlightenments, even if we know much of it anyway. Ashby's film is always a joy.
Good Luck on what you do see, and look forward to hearing about it.
Thanks for that about Beethoven, Sam, and I saw that you mentioned at LiC it was by the same people who did In Search of Mozart. I'd actually like to see both because I acknowledge how influential those two composers have been; the running time just astounds me for a theatrical doc.
ReplyDeleteI hope to have reviews up by next week of Guy and Madeline, P-Star, and Public.