Music Films

A documentary that explores the challenges that a life in music can bring.

A kaleidoscopic journey into the parallel musical universe of cult music festival All Tomorrow's Parties.

"don't need you" is a documentary film that tells the story of the origins of Riot Grrrl in the American independent music scene of the 1990s, and how this feminist movement evolved into a revolutionary underground network of education and self-awareness through music, writing, activism, and women-friendly community. The film gives audiences a chance to meet key figures in the development of Riot Grrrl and see for themselves how these women have changed the history of music and feminism forever. The film features one-on-one interviews interspersed with rare, archival materials, including original Riot Grrrl fanzines, flyers, and photographs, as well as seldom seen footage from pioneering Riot Grrrl bands like Bikini Kill, Heavens to Betsy, and Bratmobile.

Riot on the Dance Floor: The story of Randy Now and City Gardens is a documentary from director Steve Tozzi, that features the stark and iconic photography of Thrasher Magazine's Ken Salerno. It is told through an oral history format of in-depth interviews and archival footage, bringing to life the gritty story of one of New Jersey's most infamous clubs and its larger than life promoter. City Gardens was a venue for underground music and during its time it traversed the entertainment spectrum; from the comedy of Henny Youngman to Nine Inch Nails, New Order to Nirvana. Riot on the Dance Floor is a journey of musical champions and underdogs and above all, the freedom and liberation of having complete creative control.

Bad Brains are one of the most important and influential American bands still working today. They melded punk and reggae into an innovative style that has yet to be copied. Their impact and influence can be heard in groups like Beastie Boys, No Doubt, Nirvana, Jane's Addiction and countless more. Despite the troubles of an eccentric front man they have stayed together for 30 years without ever reaching the level of success so many think they deserve. Using rare archival footage and original comic illustrations the film re-constructs Bad Brains' rich and complicated history.

A documentary following the 1982 tour of punk bands Youth Brigade and Social Distortion.

Chris Thile is at a crossroads. His marriage has ended and his platinum-selling band, Nickel Creek, has gone on hiatus. But Thile, a prodigy who has defied expectations since he picked up the mandolin at age five, has a plan.

The band Fugazi is documented by filmmaker Jem Cohen over a period of ten years through performance footage and interviews with the band and their fans.

Over the past few years, electronic dance music has taken off in popular culture. However, the transition from an underground movement to a mainstream juggernaut has not happened overnight. In 2012, EDM has reached a fever pitch, becoming the hottest ticket in music since Hip Hop in the late 90's. Electronic Dance Music's shift into the mainstream spotlight has opened the up the gates, inviting a broader critical look at the genre as a whole. When the dust finally clears, the landscape of electronic music will have extended its reach to all forms of music. We are witnessing this evolution happen right now and over the next few years the hybrid genres that will come into existence are going to create an unstoppable momentum for dance music as a whole. The Drop is a documentary film exploring this cultural phenomenon. From the artists to the fans, as well as the growing festival industry, the Drop will follow all aspects of the growth of a genre of music that is defining today's generation.

It is the story of the techno-culture rebels responsible for the world domination of house music and rave culture in the 1990s.

Filmmakers Marco and Mauro La Villa examine the role of disc jockeys in 1990s dance-club culture.

The story of the hip-hop DJ from the birth of hip-hop to the invention of scratching and "beat-juggling" vinyl, to the more recent "turntablism" movement. Underdogs and virtuosos who have radically changed the way we hear and create music.

The evolution of electronic music and its many genres. How the wide range of styles and scenes formed through experimentations on sound formation.

Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records. The film weaves together rare concert footage, never-before-see archival material, inner-circle home video and photographs and in-depth interviews with the artists who put Stones Throw Records on the map. Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton gives an exclusive look into the label's left-of-center artists, history, culture, and global following. The film features exclusive interviews with Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Common, Questlove, Talib Kweli, Mike D (The Beastie Boys), Tyler the Creator, and many more.

Maestro, tells the story of how a group of people found refuge and a call for life outside the mainstream. What evolved was a scene that set the ground work for what was to come in dance music culture worldwide, a rare insight into the secret underground world. It's the first time this story is told in a motion Picture, included in the film are pioneer dance music DJs and producers, "founding fathers", its center being Larry Levan, as well as high-profile DJs of today. Opting for a more personal and candid approach, MAESTRO shows the true history of the people through a realistic creative aesthetic. Tracing the underground's dance origin, MAESTRO brings out a real understanding of this intense lifestyle, and the lives they lived and died for.

From the Boogie Down Bronx and beyond, the history of the B-Boy.

Some bands deserve another shot, and another...and another...and another.

A documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.

The first benefit rock concert when major musicians performed to raise humanitarian relief funds for the refugees of Bangladesh of 1971 war.

Filmed coverage of Australian band AC/DC's '79 appearance in Paris intercut with quasi-fictional interludes.

A live Metallica concert backed by a 80 piece symphony orchestra, conducted by Michael Kamen. Two songs are debuted, "- Human" and "No Leaf Clover". A documentary is included. It also was released on audio CD.

Set in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s, a group of friends form a rock band and try to make it big.

London had the Sex Pistols, New York had the Ramones, but Toronto had a punk movement all its own. In the end, the Toronto landscape by the late 70s was forever changed with the infusion of the DIY/Punk/Alternative culture(s) movement.

David Markey's documentary of life on the road with Sonic Youth and Nirvana during their tour of Europe in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The Ramones and Gumball.