The Seattle International Film Festival begins its 24-day run Thursday and as usual SIFF has an excellent array of music-related films to enjoy. Here are five of those movies Guerrilla Candy highly recommends you see during SIFF. These five films aren’t the only music-related screenings during SIFF so if you’d like to find out more about SIFF’s music films be sure to check out the festival’s Face the Music series.
Directed by Mattlew Lillard (he of Scooby-Doo and Scream fame), this movie is an adaption of an award-winning young adult novel of the same name. And while it is not a part of the festival’s Face the Music series it would likely fit the bill if it weren’t a fictional story. The film tells the tale Troy, an overweight teen, whose life is saved by punk rocker Marcus. The two become unlikely friends and Marcus invites Troy to join his punk band which gives Troy a new reason to live. Aside from looking like a heart-warming film produced locally, another reason to check this flick out is that its score was created by Mike McCready.
This documentary tells the story of one of the most influential hardcore bands to ever pick up instruments. It features interviews with Henry Rollins, Ric Ocasek, Ian MacKaye, Adam Yauch and many others.
Charles Bradley: Soul of America
Discovering Charles Bradley’s music last year was one of my musical highlights of 2011. Not many entertainers get the opportunity to begin their careers at the youthful age of 62. Charles Bradley got that chance and he knocked it out of the park.
The small, community-driven Orcas Island festival is all grown up and it now has its own feature documentary that chronicles its growth. Look for appearances by Sound on the Sound’s Abbey Simmons, Damien Jurado, Kevin Sur, Hannah Levine, Faustine Hudson, Jason Dodson, Champagne Champagne, Pickwick and many, many more local music scene mainstays. Not familiar with what makes Doe Bay so special? Check out one person’s experience with last year’s festival.
Emerald City Visions (A Hip Hop Reinterpretation of The Wiz)
Local hip-hop aficionado Larry Mizell Jr curates two screenings of the classic 1978 flick The Wiz along with some of the finest from Seattle’s hip-hop community. OC Notes, Don’t Talk to the Cops and other local hip-hop acts will collaborate to put a new musical spin on this classic musical.
