January 24 – February 16, 2020
The 37th Annual Reel Music Festival is January 24-February 16, 2020.
The 37th edition of the beloved Reel Music festival features cutting-edge work focused on some of today’s—and yesteryear’s—most thrilling musicians. Whether in new films detailing careers and legacies or in archival films unspooling some of the greatest concert footage ever committed to celluloid, Reel Music strives to unearth the best in music-on-film.
As always, our special thanks go to our sponsors The Oregonian, Willamette Week and Music Millennium.
Amazing Grace
Directed by Alan Elliott, Sydney Pollack
This unbelievable two-day gospel concert film sees Aretha Franklin at her captivating best—and will come to be known as one …
Gimme Shelter
Directed by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin
This tragic, harrowing film follows the Rolling Stones on their 1969 US tour, which ended with the violent debacle at …
Lisbon Beat
Directed by Vasco Viana, Rita Maia
This pulsating film tracks the musical explorations of a crew of Lisbon music producers from diverse backgrounds—immigrants from Angola, São …
Mr. Jimmy
Directed by Peter Michael Dowd
As a teenager Akio Sakurai, the son of a Tokyo kimono tailor, became obsessed with Led Zeppelin. He carried the …
NW Music Video Showcase
Directed by Various
The Northwest has a strong tradition in music video creation, and we celebrate it with an evening of music videos …
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band
Directed by Daniel Roher
This Scorsese-produced love letter sits down with frontman Robbie Robertson, who reminisces about The Band’s career as both Bob Dylan’s …
Other Music
Directed by Puloma Basu, Rob Hatch-Miller
Forward-thinking NYC institution Other Music—known for their plucky spirit and encyclopedic knowledge (and stocking) of outside-the-mainstream music—is the focus of …
Patrinell: The Total Experience
Directed by Andrew Elizaga, Tia Young
Crowned “Seattle’s First Lady of Gospel,” by the Seattle Times, Reverend Patrinell “Pat” Wright left the segregated South in 1964 …
The Harder They Come
Directed by Perry Henzell
Reggae star Jimmy Cliff stars in this unforgettable film that introduced the effervescent, uplifting music to the West and became …
The Last Waltz
One of the greatest concert films ever made sees The Band teaming up with a slew of like-minded heavy hitters …
The Unicorn
Directed by Isabelle Dupuis, Tim Geraghty
In 1974, outsider musician Peter Grudzien made the first openly-gay country album, pressing 500 copies and selling few. Rediscovered in …
Where Does a Body End?
Directed by Marco Porsia
Michael Gira and his band Swans are one of industrial music’s heaviest and most emotionally shattering groups. Filmmaker Porsia went …
Who Let the Dogs Out
Directed by Brent Hodge
In this hilarious, unpredictable mystery-doc, Ben Sisto digs deep into the origins of the Baha Men’s 2000 global-smash track “Who …
You Gave Me a Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard
Directed by Kenny Dalsheimer
This loving portrait of old-time music pioneer Alice Gerrard, replete with performances from her long career and interviews with key …