Seven Excellent Music Documentaries Announced For NZIFF 2017

The programme for this year's New Zealand Film Festival was released last night, and as usual we couldn't wait to get our mitts on it to see what music documentaries will be hitting the big screen. Here are seven excellent titles worth locking in this winter as part of your film fest outings...

HOMEGROWN TITLES:

Bill Direen: A Memory of Others
Directed by Simon Ogston
Filmmaker Simon Ogston, who is the man behind the Skeptics documentary Sheen Of Gold, hit the road with New Zealand writer, poet and indie-rocker Bill Direen to paint a lively portrait of this unique artist. Head over here for screening times and tickets.

Swagger Of Thieves
Directed by Julian Boshier
The product of a decade's blood, sweat and tears, Swagger Of Thieves is a sometimes brutal, all-access portrait of Head Like a Hole’s two Nigels - Nigel ‘Booga’ Beazley and Nigel Regan - at home, on the road and in full swing on stage. Head over here for screening times and tickets.

#Losing
Directed by StJohn Milgrew and Damian Golfinopoulos 
#Losing is a four-minute short film that sees Auckland rapper, spoken word artist and novelist Dominic Hoey aka Tourettes wear his heart on his sleeve and reflect on his losing battle with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare form of arthritis. This short will show as a pre-film to Heal The Living.

INTERNATIONAL OFFERINGS:

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
Directed by Catherine Bainbridge
Taking its title from Link Wray's goosebump-inducing 1958 instrumental 'Rumble', this film pays tribute to Native American musicians and their wide reaching influence. Featuring appearances from Iggy Pop, Dan Auerbach, Martin Scorsese, Taj Mahal, Steven Van Zandt and more. Head over here for screening times and tickets.

BANG! The Bert Berns Story
Directed by Brett Berns and Bob Sarles
Narrated by Steven Van Zandt and billed as a story of "music meets the mob", this film traces the history of 60s R'n'B-fuelled rock as driven by Bert Berns - whose penned hits like ‘Twist and Shout’ and ‘Piece of My Heart’. Included in the film are interviews with Ben E. King, Solomon Burke, Van Morrison, Keith Richards, Paul McCartney and more. Head over here for screening times and tickets. 

Bill Frisell: A Portrait
Directed by Emma Franz
Guitar virtuoso Bill Frisell (who was on these shores recently for Wellington Jazz Festival), is the subject of this enlightening documentary, which sees his peers pays homage to his eclectic and expressive style that has graced countless records. Head over here for screening times and tickets.

Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present
Directed by Tyler Hubby
"Screw abstract art, I'm going to make art funny, happy, energetic, joyful". This film celebrates the life of Tony Conrad - an American avant-garde video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician, composer and sound artist who consistently went against the grain. Head over here for screening times and tickets.

Head over to the NZIFF website for the full festival programme