The Tucson Film & Music Festival lineup has been announced and tickets for all screenings are on sale now! This year, the exciting four-day festival lands in Tucson with its new Columbus Day weekend dates, October 9-12, 2008.
The much-anticipated festival’s impressive film and music lineup features numerous Arizona premieres, as well as a selection of U.S. and World Premieres. Bridging the art of film and music more than ever before, TFMF presents exclusive live performances by many of the iconic subjects featured in the festival screenings including some local favorites.
The TFMF festivities kick-off on Thursday, October 9, at the Berger Performing Arts Center (1200 W. Speedway Blvd.) with the Opening Night Film, “Throw Down Your Heart” (Arizona Premiere). The documentary follows American banjo-virtuoso Bela Fleck on a journey across Africa to explore the little-known African roots of the banjo, and record an album.On Friday, October 10, The Screening Room (127 E. Congress St.) will host avery special screening of “Slide Guitar Ride,” featuring local Tucson legend and one-man-band Bob Log III.
The evening continues with the first of three exciting concerts at PLUSH (340 E. 6th Street), the official TFMF headquarters. Festival attendees will be treated to a live, sneak peek at The Sibley’s (one of the bands featured in the TFMF Centerpiece Film “Nowhere Now: The Ballad of Joshua Tree”). Indie rockers Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s headline the bill. On Saturday, October 11, The Screening Room will host two short-film series entitled “Desert Shorts” and “Relationships 101,” followed by a 5:30 screening of the TFMF Centerpiece Film, “Nowhere Now: The Ballad of Joshua Tree.”
Rounding out the evening is “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” the hit Sundance doc about two aging rockers who set out to reaffirm their boyhood pact to rock-out together, forever. Also on Saturday, “Adventures of Power” will screen at The Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway Blvd). An all-out air-drum assault, the film explores the underground world of competitive air-drumming. Starring Adrian Grenier (“Entourage,” “The Devil Wears Prada”), Michael McKean (“Spinal Tap,” “A Mighty Wind”) and Jane Lynch (“The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “For Your Consideration”).
TFMF resumes its nightly concerts @ PLUSH with a performance by Gram Rabbit (“Nowhere Now”), and a special set by singing-directing duo The Gold Brothers (Adventures of Power). The celebration of film and music continues into Sunday, October 12, at multiple venues throughout Tucson.
Two exciting, music-driven screenings take place at the Screening Room: “Scene and Heard” features a trio of music documentary shorts making West Coast and Southwest Premieres; “Music Video-rama” is a music video series featuring work by local artists and directors, as well as nationally acclaimed work including the latest Radioheadvideo “House of Cards” followed by a behind the scenes look at making the video – shot completely with lasers.
Sunday festivities continue at The Rialto (318 E. Congress) with two feature film screenings (“Your Name Here” and “Teary Sockets”) -both films followed by filmmaker Q&As — before rounding out the evening with the US Premiere of ” A Deal is a Deal.” A comedy with heart, the film combines hilarious adventures and painfully funny truths about how far we would go to change our lives. Starring Mackenzie Crook (BBC’s “The Office,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy) and Oscar(r)-nominee Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake,” “Harry Potter”).
TFMF will conclude at The Loft with its Closing Night Film “Nerdcore For Life” (Southwest Premiere), before “rapping-up” at PLUSH with special performances by artists ytcracker (featured in Nerdcore), Maja (Phoenix), DJ Paul Jenkins and more.
A truly unique film festival, TFMF will transform Tucson into a film and music oasis, connecting its denizens with the filmmakers and musicians who are inspired by their desert-dwellings.
