The Chattanooga Film Festival will open on April 3, with the North American premiere of A Life in the Death of Joe Meek, a feature documentary that chronicles the rise, fall and resurrection of England’s first independent record producer Joe Meek.
Review for A Life in the Death of Joe Meek:
A Life in the Death of Joe Meek is a true DIY success story, both in terms of the independent spirit of Meek himself and also because the film is a Kickstarter (internet crowd-funding platform) success story.
More than 40 years after his tragic and mysterious death, Meek has been reborn as an inspirational icon. The documentary includes more than 60 interviews with Meek's family, close friends, associates, musicians and pop culture icons such as Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Joen Leyton, Mike Berry and Edwyn Collins and members of The B-52s, Franz Ferdinand, Super Furry Animals and more.
"Extremely honored and excited to be part of the very first Chattanooga Film Festival,” said Howard S. Berger, director of A Life in the Death of Joe Meek. “ For a city such as Chattanooga, steeped in such an astounding regional cultural history, it's about time that cinema appreciation is finally allowed a home and a voice with the CFF. Hats off to festival director Chris Dortch and company for putting together what surely promises to be an essential annual event."
A Life in the Death of Joe Meek has only been shown previously at Beefeater In-Edit International Music Documentary Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain.
“I’ve been a fan of Joe Meek’s work and his music for longer than I remember and have been chasing this film for over a year,” said Chris Dortch, CFF festival director. “When Howard and Susan [Stahman, the film’s producer] gave us the green light to make the film a part of CFF I believe I might have yelled a little in my office. The good kind of yelling though.”
CFF will begin with a cocktail reception at the Hunter Museum of American Art on April 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. A Life in the Death of Joe Meek will show at the Carmike Majestic Cinema at 8 p.m. with filmmaker Howard S. Berger and Richard Routledge of the band The Cryin’ Shames, who Meek produced, on hand to talk about the film and tell stories about Joe and his incredible life.
For more information on A Life in the Death of Joe Meek go to http://joemeekdoc.com/.
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