20 MILES WEST OF PHOENIX

Australian musician, Grayson, hits the road to discover America along the historic Route 66. Beginning in Chicago, IL Grayson goes from gig to gig along the famed roadway in search of the American experience as he engages with the eccentric locals in bars, jazz clubs, opera houses, record stores, taco stands, gun ranges and living rooms of small town Western America. Along the way he discovers the undervalued history, arts and diverse cultures of each region, culminating in California with one finale performance at the end of the trail.

66 Days on Route 66 (Southwest Premiere)
Dir. Molly DeBower
USA/2013/84 min.
www.facebook.com/66daysonroute66

ALL TOGETHER NOW

Ron (Lou Taylor Pucci) is throwing a party, bringing four bands and a motley cast of characters to an unlikely location: an abandoned shed in the middle of the woods. But guess what? This is a horror film. Throughout the night we follow the ensemble as they float through the dark recesses of the forest, on a desperate quest to find romance, respect, meaning, adventure and aliens. Featuring live performances by some incendiary underground bands, All Together Now is a zeitgeist film dedicated to a generation of disoriented conspiracists.

Youth, in all its messy, drunken glory, is the connective thread at an all night noise-rock concert in the woods, where a motley assortment of music lovers prove that it isn’t always darkest before the dawn.

All Together Now (Southwest Premiere)

Dir. Alexander Mirecki

USA/2013/82 min.

www.alltogethernowfilm.com

BIRD DOGGIN’!

A frustrated songwriter sits in his apartment full of musical instruments, behind his piano, unable to write anything noteworthy. His music meets mayhem when a pet dog and a stray bird get into a fight amongst the unsuspecting struggling songwriter’s musical instruments. Will these animals destroy this man’s studio or will they be his artistic salvation?

Bird Doggin’! (Southwest Premiere)
Dir. Bram Cayne
Sheridan College
CANADA/2013/2 min.

bramcayne.blogspot.com

DIY

Three bands from Nantes, of different styles and generations, cross paths as they find themselves in the forefront of the DIY movement in France. Showcasing the music and personalities of Smooth, Hocus Pocus and French Cowboy.

DIY (US Premiere)
Dir. Laure Charrier & David Couliau
Fadereight Films / La Video Superette
FRANCE/2011/75 min.
diy-doc.com

DON’T FOLLOW ME (I’M LOST)

An intimate “fly on the wall” documentary about iconoclastic rocker Bobby Bare Jr., son of country music legend Bobby Bare, and his struggles dealing with the repercussions of perpetual life on the road, the constant separation and the disconnect from loved ones back home. Musicians including My Morning Jacket, Justin Townes Earle, Hayes Carll, David Vandervelde, Blue Giant, Duane Denison, Carey Kotsionis, and Bobby Bare Sr. make appearances in the film.

DON’T FOLLOW ME (I’m Lost) (Southwest Premiere)(Closing Night Film)
Dir. William Miller
Seventh Art Releasing
USA/2012/91 min.
dontfollowmeimlost-film.com

EVERY EVERYTHING: THE MUSIC, LIFE & TIMES OF GRANT HART

Every Everything is an intimate portrait of a musician Grant Hart from legendary 80’s punk rock band Hüsker Dü. Using a mixture of footage and extensive interviews with the man himself, director Gorman Bechard (Color Me Obsessed: The Replacements) gives you an extraordinary account of this fascinating artist’s life.

A revelatory exploration of a singularly unique artistic force, one whose creative career is often overshadowed by that of his former band mate, this is one of the most off-the-wall, yet captivating conversations that you will witness for a long time.

Every Everything: The Music, Life & Times of Grant Hart (Southwest Premiere)
Dir. Gorman Bechard
What Were We Thinking Films
USA/2013/93 min.
www.whatwerewethinkingfilms.com

FE DE VIDA

A woman goes to the Civil Registry Office to request her birth certificate. At the first counter she is told that there’s a mistake and they cannot give her the document. Let’s witness the journey she takes to solve the situation. Based on a true story, which proves reality is stranger than fiction.

Fe de Vida (Faith) (World Premiere)
Dir. Elena Frez
Mailuki Films
SPAIN/2013/5 min.

“GHOST” BY RED CIRCLE UNDERGROUND

A music video for LA based ‘Red Circle Underground.’ The members of this seven piece band find themselves lost in more than just a forest. This melancholy, yet energetic song, entitled ‘Ghost,’ is materialized by haunting imagery and dreamlike cinematography, creating a world within the song. Subtle themes woven throughout the video tell a tragic and unfinished tale inspired by the lives and fears of the creators of this song.

“Ghost” by Red Circle Underground (US Premiere)
Dir. Arielle Kilker
USA/2013/4 min.
redcircleunderground.com

I AM NOT A ROCK STAR

Shot over eight years, I Am Not A Rock Star is the coming-of-age journey of fiery, Juilliard-trained pianist Marika Bournaki, who will stop at nothing to become a world-class concert pianist. Marika’s parents never realized their youthful dreams in music and ballet, but saw her raw talent age 5. Her father-turned-manager, Pierre, then risked everything — including his career, family and marriage — to make Marika into a star. From child prodigy accolades at age 9, to backstage tears and moving alone to New York City to study at Juilliard at age 14, filming includes behind-the-scenes footage at concerts, airports, and auditions, in hotel rooms around the world.

I Am Not A Rock Star reveals a side of the classical music industry never seen before, where a combination of talent, lost childhoods, networking savvy and nerves of steel are crucial to make it to the top.

I Am Not A Rock Star (Arizona Premiere)
Dir. Bobbi Jo Hart
Adobe Productions Intl.
CANADA/2012/85 min.
www.facebook.com/LeReveDeMarika

IF WE SHOUT LOUD ENOUGH

If We Shout Loud Enough is an intimate portrait that follows the punk band, Double Dagger, as they complete their final tour and album, tracing the history and growth of both the band and Baltimore’s underground music and arts scene.

Meet Nolen, a singer who stutters uncontrollably until he picks up the microphone; Bruce, a bassist who can make his battered instrument sound like an entire rock band; Denny, whose drum set regularly collapses under the force of his pummeling; and dozens of the fans, musicians, and artists who have catalyzed the city’s music community. Along the way, we learn how this charming trio captivated audiences and critics, and why Baltimore has become such a vital and diverse creative breeding ground for the ethos of DIY music and art. Featuring interviews with: Dan Deacon and members of Wye Oak, Future Islands, Ruiner, Thank You, and many others.

If We Shout Loud Enough (Southwest Premiere)
Dir. Gabriel DeLoach
Folk Hero Films
USA/2013/98 min.
doubledaggerisdead.tumblr.com

INTO THE BLACK

Two looking up from the earth, one looking down from above. This short documentary joins the three individuals’ journey into the darkest night, where they find the stars shining the brightest.

Into the Black
Dir. Dae Hyun Song
University of Arizona
USA/2012/8 min.
songfilms.com

KIDS LIKE YOU & ME

Follow Atlanta GA’s indie rockers The Black Lips, and opening band Lazzy Lung as they embark on a tour of the Middle East, including stops in Cyprus, Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt, Dubai, UAE, Erbil, Iraq, Amman, Jordan and Beirut, Lebanon.

In 2009, The Black Lips started investigating the possibility of a bridge-building tour of the Middle East with stops throughout the region. After two years of planning, several uprisings and a civil war, the tour finally came to fruition in the fall of 2012. It wasn’t easy either. Facing last minute changes and cancellations and navigating the cultural differences, the band nevertheless found that regardless of color, nationality or religion, when it comes to music, all kids are like you and me.

Kids Like You & Me (Southwest Premiere)(Centerpiece Film)
Dir. Bill Cody
Subterranean Productions
USA/2013/74 min.
www.facebook.com/KidsLikeYouMe

LA BANDA LOCA Y SUS CHUPAKUETES: VIVO EN POTRERILLOS

In Mendoza, Argentina, La Banda Loca y Sus Chupakuetes play an explosive, outdoor concert for their friends and family on Christmas day, and speak about the issues most important to their music and their community. An independent band hailing from Mendoza, La Banda Loca plays a unique style of ska they call ‘chingy-chingy’ that is heavily informed by the issues that affect their community and their activist ideals. This short concert film showcases their relentless musical energy and their genuine social message.

La Banda Loca y Sus Chupakuetes: Vivo en Potrerillos (World Premiere)
Dir. Evan Bluestein
ARGENTINA/2013/13 min.
evanbluestein.com

PASSAGE OF TIME

Molly is an up-tight perfectionist with no imagination. She goes through life like she’s the living dead. But perhaps some new life force or creativity will emerge from an unexpected source…

Passage of Time (World Premiere)

Dir. Christy Keller & Ken Massengill

Red House Productions

USA/2013/13 min.

christykeller.com

PUSH UP

A story about the beauty, nature and questions if you can own it or does it belong to mankind. Oh! and it also refers to boobs.

PUSH UP (US Premiere)
Dir. David Galán Galindo
Mailuki Films
SPAIN/2013/5 min.

mailukifilms.blogspot.com

RANDY PARSONS: AMERICAN LUTHIER

‘Randy Parsons: American Luthier’ is a documentary short about a Seattle guitar-maker whose client list includes Jack White, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, and many other well-known guitarists.

‘American Luthier’ recounts Parsons’ transformation from aspiring musician to guitar-maker. The guitar had been Parsons’ identity since he was a child, but after studying classical and jazz guitar in college, he realized that he would never make a living as a musician. So he gave it up — and then one day he had a vision of how the guitar would come back into his life. Now he’s creating instruments that are highly sought after works of art for clients like Jack White, Jimmy Page and Joe Perry.

This is a film about someone who gave up their passion for playing guitars and discovered that they had a passion for making guitars. Parsons’ success is a testament to doing what we love in life and work, even if it requires taking a second look at your dreams, and finding a different way to be a rock star.

Randy Parsons: American Luthier (Tucson Premiere)
Dir. David Aldrich
USA/2011/8 min.
www.americanluthier.net

RAVEL

In cold, blossoming Central Park, a girl falls for a boy wearing a red sweater and tries to win his heart with a hand-knit hat. Her yarn ball, however, sees more than she does, and sets out to make things right. With an enchanting score and the light of springtime, Ravel is play for the senses and the heart.

(World Premiere)
Dir. Sabina Beachdell
USA/2013/12 min.
daveandsabina.bandcamp.com

REBEL,REBEL,REBEL

An aspiring DJ’s rise to fame, despite incompetence and peer rejection.

Rebel,Rebel,Rebel (Arizona Premiere)
Dir. Kyle Schneider
Kyle Schneider Films
USA/2012/25 min.
www.kyle-schneider.com

RETROVISOR

Lucía and Álvaro’s relationship isn’t enjoying the best of times. A car accident gives their lives a shake up, which will not only affect their future, but the perception of the past they had together.

(Southwest Premiere)
Dir. Alberto Lavin
Mailuki Films
SPAIN/2013/6min.

www.facebook.com/Retrovisor.Cortometraje

STREETCAR

A man tries to dominate his fantasy of a pin-up girl after she leaves him for an idealized figure of masculinity. After Mark yells at Chloe for smoking inside his El Camino, she cancels their plans to attend a concert and jumps into a car of a stud who she claims to be her brother. Stricken by jealousy, Mark spends the rest of the night inside his car fantasizing about Chloe. Starring Chloe Sevigny (Boys Don’t Cry, Big Love) Nash Edgerton (Zero Dark Thiry), Harry Treadaway (Control, The Lone Ranger) and Buck Henry (The Graduate).

Streetcar (World Premiere)
Dir. Hala Matar
Vice Productions
USA/2013/6 min.

TAKING CHARGE: THE PAULY COHEN STORY

A music documentary that chronicles the life trajectory of Pauly Cohen, a Brooklyn native who became lead trumpeter for artists such as Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett. Now at the ripe age of 90, he leads and mentors his own band. Thankfully, there is a man of action like Pauly Cohen, to remind us that we can continue to do what we love, long past forced retirement.

Taking Charge: The Pauly Cohen Story
Dir. Bret Primack
Jazz Video Guy
USA/2013/45 min.
paulycohentrumpet.com

“TASTE OF DISARRAY” BY IGNITE THE RED

In a post-apocalyptic world, a woman attempts to find her lost lover.

“Taste of Disarray” by Ignite the Red (Arizona Premiere)
Dir. Jason Sikorsky
USA/2013/4 min.
www.facebook.com/IgniteTheRed

THE LAST PIPER

The tale of Ryan MacCrimmon, guardian of the last set of bagpipes on earth, and those who would see the instrument wiped out for good. We join him for the final part of his journey, at the edge of the world, where he hopes to secure the future of the bagpipe once and for all.

The Last Piper (North American Premiere)
Dir. Iain Forbes
Nordland College of Art & Film
NORWAY/2013/20 min.

www.iainforbes.net

THE LAST SAFARI

The Last Safari is a provocative and genre-defying documentary directed by Matt Goldman. It follows renowned photographer Elizabeth L. Gilbert on an unforgettable journey through remote Kenya in search of the tribes-people she documented a decade earlier. Gilbert and her ragtag crew dodge everything from bullets to deadly flash floods, learning some hard lessons about a rapidly changing continent along the way.

The Last Safari (Southwest Premiere)
Dir. Matt Goldman
Akjak Moving Pictures
USA/2013/75 min.
thelastsafarimovie.com

THE MAN WITH THE JAZZ GUITAR

Ken Sykora: jazz guitarist, Djangologist, radio broadcaster, writer, chef, teacher, spy. Modest. Forgotten. What he left behind was a vast archive of rare recordings, documents and memorabilia from which his fascinating life story was uncovered: the story of an unassuming man who spent his life sharing his love of music, words, food and Django Reinhardt. A true individual with an inspirational approach to life, this is the original and delightful portrait of one of Britain’s finest jazz guitarists.

The Man with the Jazz Guitar (North American Premiere)
Dir. Marc Mason
Five Feet Films
UK/2012/111 min.
www.themanwiththejazzguitar.com

THE UMBRELLA FACTORY

One evening, a traveler knocked upon the door of three brothers. Asking for a place to stay, as he has nowhere else to go, he offers them his magic talisman for payment in exchange for room and board. What the brothers learn is that the talisman is capable of granting three wishes. But be careful what you wish for.

The Umbrella Factory (Southwest Premiere)

Dir. Lexie Findarle Trivundza & Nick Trivundza

Naissance

USA/2013/4min.

www.naissance.tv/umbrella

THE WHEXICAN

The Whexican is an odd-couple comedy about Gorman, an aspiring comedian who reluctantly visits his Mexican grandfather after he loses his driver’s license. After the awkward encounter descends into personal attacks, Gorman realizes people’s dreams are nothing to joke about.

The Whexican (World Premiere)
Dir. Forrest Hartl
Whexican Films
USA/2013/9 min.
www.facebook.com/thewhexicanfilm

THROWING PUNCHES

Throwing Punches is a short documentary portrait that explores the life and career of Vancouver, B.C. martial artist turned professional stuntwoman, Leanne Hindle. From her competitive, athletic beginnings, to the big break that catapults her stunt career, we follow Hindle’s successes and struggles, and the mounting pressures to be the best. As Hindle journeys within an industry that demands complete physical dedication, a string of injuries and her transition to motherhood eventually lead her to question what it is that’s truly important. Exploring the fine line between the importance of family and the desire to still stay in the game, Throwing Punches features exclusive performance footage, as well as personal interviews with the subject, and her mentor, renowned stunt performer and coach, Bruce Fontaine.

Throwing Punches (Southwest Premiere)
Dir. Rosalie Miller
Langara College/Wanderhouse Productions
CANADA/USA/2013/13 min.
www.wanderhouseproductions.com

TRANSITIONS

A once star junior triathlete whose life changed following the untimely death of his father and near loss of his mother.

Transitions (Tucson Premiere)
Dir. Keith Wagner
South Mountain Pictures
USA/2013/7 min.
www.facebook.com/TransitionsDocumentary

WE ALWAYS LIE TO STRANGERS

We Always Lie To Strangers is a story of family, community, music and tradition set against the backdrop of Branson, Missouri, a remote Ozark Mountain town that is one of the biggest tourist destinations in America. As Branson (like the rest of the country) faces economic uncertainty and changes in attitudes on social issues, the stories of these performing families form a composite both of Branson and of contemporary America.

We Always Lie to Strangers (Arizona Premiere)(Opening Night Film)
Dir. AJ Schnack & David Wilson
My Country Home LLC
USA/2013/109 min.
www.wealwayslietostrangers.com

ZOOM! TUCSON’S LATE ’50S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RECORD LABEL

The endearing story of two teenage boys in Tucson, Arizona who, in early 1959, created one of southern Arizona’s first rock ‘n’ roll record labels, Zoom Records. Follow Burt Schneider and Ray Lindstrom as they recount the story of their youthful adventures as teenage record executives, recruiting talent, working in the studio with one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most renowned recording engineers, and releasing their 45-rpm discs into the Tucson marketplace and beyond. A compelling testament to youthful entrepreneurship and the power of music to change lives in positive ways.

ZOOM! Tucson’s Late ’50s Rock ‘n’ Roll Record Label
Dir. Dan Kruse
Rising Trunk Productions
USA/2012/33 min.
tinyurl.com/ZoomRecordsDoc