Music

Freely inspired by the story of Oedipus, Angela Schanelec's latest is as terrifying as myth and as gentle as a folk song. An official selection of the New York Film Festival.

Filmmaker Yale Strom explores the life and work of Lou Curtiss - creator of the San Diego Folk Festival, Adams Ave. Unplugged Festival, audiophile, folklorist, author, raconteur, radio host and proprietor of Folk Arts Rare Records, a mecca for some of the most celebrated American roots musicians in America.

Filmed in Cuba over the course of ten years, Los Últimos Frikis tells the story of iconic Cuban heavy metal band Zeus and their three-decade fight to be heard. As Cuba’s political and social climate once again shifts the band embarks on a national tour across the island to defend their cultural impact and livelihood.

Musician David Bazan retreated into a solitary life after renouncing his long-held Christian beliefs and walking away from his critically-acclaimed band, Strange Negotiations follow David a decade into his journey, during which he has become a sort of reluctant prophet to Americans during the 2016 presidential election.

HÍBRIDOS, THE SPIRITS OF BRAZIL is an ethnomusicological journey into the sacred culture of Brazil, from Roman Catholic to Ubanda and candomblé--mixures of African traditions with Catholicism.

Milford Graves Full Mantis is a feature-length portrait of renowned percussionist Milford Graves, oscillating from present to past and weaving intimate glimpses of the artist’s complex cosmology with blistering performances from around the globe, exploring his kaleidoscopic creativity and relentless curiosity.

In a remote Haitian village there is a dance with slaves and masters: the whipping zombie ritual. To trance-inducing music played by rara bands, men whip and fight until they die and are reborn in the infinite cycle.

Forcefully removed from their ancestral home by the Ugandan government to protect the endangered gorilla population, the indigenous Batwa people start a music club in hopes to preserve their culture through song and story.

Meet Lee and Opal, an elderly couple living in the Appalachian Mountains. Recorded over three years, Linefork is an observational film about marriage, community, resilience, and the raw yet delicate music of an unheralded banjo legend, linked to the past yet immediately present.

2017 ACADEMY AWARD® Nominee for Documentary Short Subject In Joe’s Violin, a donated musical instrument forges an improbable friendship between a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and 12-year-old Bronx school girl, showing how the power of music to bring light in the darkest of times and how a small act can have a profound impact.

In Pursuit of Silence is a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence, sound and the impact of noise on our lives. This critically acclaimed documentary takes us on an immersive cinematic journey around theglobe.

What happens to female artists once they become mothers? A heartfelt exploration of how motherhood affects and impinges on one's creative life, Come Worry With Us! follows violinist Jessica Moss and singer/guitarist Efrim Menuck, founding member of the revered Montreal band, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as the couple attempts to integrate their young son into their lifestyle.

After decades of sold out shows and international recognition, musician Gilberto Gil embarks on a new kind of world tour. Traveling from Brazil to Australia and Africa, where he meets with local indigenous communities, Gil continues the work he began as Brazil's first black Minister of Culture - promoting the power of cultural diversity in a globalized world and sharing his vision for the future: a diverse, interconnected planet filled with hope, exchange… and of course music!

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the staging of a major operatic production, Verdi's masterpiece, "La Traviata," starring world-famous French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay and directed by the celebrated Jean-Francois Sivardier.

For hundreds of years, the acoustic guitar has been made from the same species of Spruce. Today, due to an extreme logging practice known as clear-cutting, this tree is in danger of disappearing - and with it, the acoustic guitar. In this captivating documentary, owners of the top guitar makers unite with Greenpeace and travel to the largest forest in the US to meet with Native American landowners in the hope of finding a sustainable solution.

Bob and the Monster follows outspoken indie-rock hero Bob Forrest through his life-threatening struggle with addiction to his transformation into one of the most influential and controversial drug counselors in the US today (appearing alongside Dr. Drew Pinsky on shows such as "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House.")

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the staging of a major operatic production, Verdi's masterpiece, "La Traviata," starring world-famous French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay and directed by the celebrated Jean-Francois Sivardier.

Narrated by Laurence Fishburne, Everyday Sunshine charts the turbulent history of the pioneering all-Black rock band Fishbone. This lively documentary tells the story of a band that broke racial stereotypes, and for a brief moment, seemed to challenge the political order of the music industry and the nation.

A luminous exploration of the creative process from one of the world's most important filmmakers, Pedro Costa's Ne Change Rien is a spare, hypnotic portrait of French chanteuse Jeanne Balibar. Photographed in shimmering black-and-white and featuring a soundtrack of haunting jazz-inflected pop songs.