Projects in genres: Music

Synopsis

In these dark times, you may think that every hazard has been identified, but nobody has taken in consideration how dangerous dance can be… Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2020 - Shorts Programme

Synopsis

The compelling story of the Chins, the Chinese Jamaican family behind “Studio 17” a legendary recording studio in downtown Kingston, Jamaica. Studio 17 was at the heart of the music revolution that began after Jamaican independence in 1962. In its prime, artists who recorded there included Bob Marley and the Wailers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Alton Ellis, Carl Malcolm, Jimmy London and many more. But dramatically, during the political turmoil of the late 1970s the Chin family fled to New York and the studio was abandoned. 40 years on, a treasure trove of original studio tapes has been salvaged - revealing unique and stunning recordings from the ‘golden age’ of reggae, many of which were unreleased and have never been heard before. As the tapes are played they give rise to a myriad of wonderful stories and in a highly poignant conclusion, the teenage voice of the late Dennis Brown is beautifully re-recorded with the vocals of a rising teenage star, Holly Stevenson, all magically orchestrated by producer and one time Eurythmics star, Dave Stewart.

Synopsis

Legendary US photographer Jim Marshall's diary of a life in music captures both the volatile man behind the lens and the seismic changes that defined the 1960s. A child of immigrants he battled inner demons and fought his way to become one of the most trusted mavericks, the man with five Leica M4s hanging round his neck. A passion for music led him to capture some of the most iconic figures in music history from the jazz greats to Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and The Rolling Stones. His abrasive but honest approach to his subjects combined with his incredible skill to build trust expanded his portfolio beyond celebrities, documenting key moments in US history and a time of great turbulence. Official Selection SXSW 2019 - 24 Beats Per Second - World premiere

Synopsis

In 1961 Elvis misses his cue at a recording session and politely starts again. Analogue sound is converted to video showing the audio frequency spectrum, and a shuffle dancer from recent online footage dances through it.

Synopsis

A bold and lyrical portrayal of two brothers, David and Sanchez, living on a Hackney council estate in East London. The film combines dance with documetary giving a compelling insight into their family and friendships, the stigmas they face daily and how they process their emotions. Official Selection IDFA 2019 - IDFA Competition for Short Documentary - International premiere

Synopsis

A love letter to a forgotten space. Tones and textures intersect – noises, light, shadow, forms – extended and expanded, drawing us into this non-place. "The non-place never exists in pure form; places reconstitute themselves in it; relations are restored and resumed in it". Marc Augé - Non-Places

Synopsis

Writer and musician PJ Harvey and award-winning photographer Seamus Murphy hatched a collaboration - seeking first-hand experience of the countries she wanted to write about, Harvey accompanied Murphy on some of his worldwide reporting trips, joining him in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Washington DC. Harvey collected words, Murphy collected images. Back home, the words become poems, songs, then an album, which is recorded in an unprecedented art experiment in Somerset House, London. In a specially constructed room behind one-way glass, the public - all cameras surrendered - are invited to watch the five week process as a live sound-sculpture. Murphy exclusively documents the experiment with the same forensic vision and private access as their travels. By capturing the immediacy of their encounters with the people and places they visited, Murphy shows the humanity at the heart of the work, tracing the sources of the songs, their special metamorphosis into recorded music, and ultimately, cinema. Official Selection Berlinale 2019 - Panorama Dokumente - World premiere

Synopsis

11-year-old Andre and his story about his inspiration to pursue a ballet career in a one long take short film.

Synopsis

A visionary, innovator and originator who defied categorization and embodied the word cool: a foray into the life and career of musical and cultural icon Miles Davis. Using words from Miles Davis' autobiography, this film offers an incisive insight into our understanding of the legendary musician. Newly released archival material, alongside interviews with pre-eminent historians and personal friends like Quincy Jones, illustrate a man of intensity and devotion to his craft. Despite the indignities of America during the time of segregation, nothing was going to stop Davis from realising his dream: to create a new form of musical expression. Davis worked like a physicist with his collaborators to push musical experimentation and widen the tones and lyricism of jazz - the effects of which are felt to this day. Delving into his past loves, personal relationships and addictions, a clearer portrait of Davis the man emerges. Davis is fearless and engaging throughout, and his intellectual fervor is only tempered by his insecurities. Director Stanley Nelson’s epic biopic collects the strands of a creative life and weaves them together for us to understand one of the great modern American artists like never before. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Documentary Premieres - World premiere Official Selection Hot Docs 2019 - Special Presentations Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2019 - Create Strand

Synopsis

1987. When music fanatic Javed discovers the illustrious back catalogue of Bruce Springsteen his world is turned upside down; already a creative soul his passion for music and writing is set alight by the songs of the working-class poet, whose lyrics feel all too familiar to the aspirational teenager. Yearning to escape his rundown hometown and the rules of his traditional Pakistani household, Javed finds himself caught in between two worlds and must discover if he too is 'Born to Run…' Based on the memoir of lauded Guardian journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, this timely coming of age story proves that the right song has the capacity to transcend race, religion and place, tap into our hearts and help us discover who we really are. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - Premieres - World premiere

Synopsis

A universal story of friendship, rebellion and the irresistible power of gathered youth. Set to a soundtrack as eclectic and electrifying as the scene it gave birth to, BEATS is a story for our time. Official Selection International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2019 - Voices - World premiere

Synopsis

The story of the sacred youth and the stakes of a cosmic journey. Where the embodiment and the pain, pleasure and sublimation there-in are non-negotiable. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2019 - US Narrative Short Films - World premiere