SXSW isn’t just a week for discovering bands, it’s also the Sundance of music documentaries. Below is a run down of some of the films premiering at this year’s SXSW (for a guide to SXSW concerts visit here).
All Is By My Side – a new Jimi Hendrix biopic starring Outkast’s André Benjamin as the legendary guitarist – premieres in the US this Wednesday at 9:00PM at the Paramount Theatre. Watch a clip from the film below and read more details here. Jimi fans should also check Thursday’s Hendrix happenings with Slash and co.
In Sequoia “a very lively woman with a very deadly cancer visits a national park with the intention of ending her life there– but her suicide plans are continually thwarted, not least of all by her family, which finds itself unamused with her death wish.” This film was scored by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ Mark Noseworthy and premiers this evening. Three additional screening are listed here.
The world premiere screening of Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys’ American Interior film is 2pm on March 11th at the Alamo Ritz, followed by a performance by Gruff with Kliph Scurlock and Keith Bear. American Interior is being released this spring as a film, an album, a book and an app. More details on the project and its amusing backstory are here.
Bradley Beesley’s “Road Kill Zoo follows a gang of nomadic, parentless teenagers as they practice the art of grifting. A tragic accident has left Byron and his younger sister Abby to fend for themselves. They travel the countryside meeting freaks, frauds and faith healers. With no resources or money, they must rely on what they know, which is fooling folks.” Zoo premiered last Friday but is also screening Tuesday, March 11th at 7:00PM in Topfer Theatre (ZACH) and Saturday, March 15th at 2:00PM at SXSatellite: Marchesa. Watch the trailer below:
Rubber Soul juxtaposes John Lennon’s 1970 Rolling Stone and 1980 Playboy interviews to “reconstructs portions of these two historical interviews based on available transcripts and audio” and “explore the dynamic nature of Lennon’s identity over time.” It world premieres Tuesday at Stateside Theater. Other screenings and more details are listed here.
“The Case of the Three Sided Dream is the story of multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, who went from blind infant, to child prodigy, to adult visionary, political activist, and finally to paralyzed showman who toured and played music literally until the day he died.” It screens Tuesday, March 11 at 2:00PM at Stateside Theater.
“Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records. Under the direction of founder and world-renowned DJ Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw has consistently released critically acclaimed, left-of-center albums since its founding in 1996. Drawing on live concert footage, never-before-seen archival material, inner-circle home video and photographs and in-depth interviews with the folks who put Stones Throw on the map, “Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton” delves deeper into the label’s enigmatic artists, history, culture and global following. Among those featured in the film are Kanye West, Common, Mike D, Questlove and Snoop Dogg.” It premiered last Friday, but additional screening are listed here.
“The Winding Stream tells the story of the American roots music dynasty, the Carters and the Cashes. The Carters didn’t just play the music of their hill country upbringing. They helped invent it and influenced generations of musicians along the way, including one young man who, at first blush, seemed more renegade than reverent adherent. He would be the one to lift up the Carter legacy – Johnny Cash.” Catch it on Saturday, March 15 at 7:00PM at the Alamo Ritz.
On a final (non-film, but film related) note, Yellow Submarine director Ron Campbell will have an exhibit at local gallery Wild About Music displaying original paintings he created for his ’60s ABC cartoon series The Beatles from Saturday, March 8th through the following Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. (except Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.).
The Future Heart 