Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: Waiting: The Van Duren Story (Australia, 2019) is a touching film about your new favourite artist

The name “Van Duren” may not mean much to most people. But to Greg Carey and Wade Jackson this Memphis musician is king. The pair went on a journey to discover more about this artist. The result, Waiting: The Van Duren Story is like Searching for Sugar Man, because it sees some fans searching for…

Read More

Here are all the guests coming to the 2019 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival

The Melbourne Documentary Film Festival kicks off tomorrow at Cinema Nova and Backlot, and along with it will come an impressive list of special guests. Running from the 19th to the 30th, they’ll be in town to present their films, and you can get all the details of when and where you can see the…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: Woodstock At Fifty paints the famous concert with too broad a brush

Woodstock was one of the most important concerts in history. This year marks 50 years since those infamous three days of peace, love and music. The film, Woodstock at Fifty is a documentary that gives a rather backstage view to the show thanks to some interviews with various key players. While some parts of this…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: If You Don’t Know Me is a charmed look at the spirit, struggles & sex appeal of Teddy Pendergrass

If you don’t know artist, Teddy Pendergrass by now, you certainly will. In the documentary, If You Don’t Know Me we learn all about this R & B singer who was often referred to as “The Black Elvis.” This film is an illuminating look at the life and legacy of this legendary soul man. Pendergrass’…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road is finger-picking good

He’s Australia’s very own finger-picking, boogie-woogie man. Tommy Emmanuel is a guitar icon and one of only a handful of people who can say they’re a certified guitar player. Tommy Emmanuel: The Endless Road is an entertaining look at many facets of this charismatic musician and artist. This film is written and directed by Jeremy…

Read More

Melbourne International Documentary Film Festival Review: Boom! is a rocking trip along some sonic highways

Boom! A Film about the Sonics is a documentary that is cut from the same cloth as Searching for Sugar Man and Waiting: The Van Duren Story. You may not have heard about American group, The Sonics but chances are you’ve heard their influence through other people’s music. This film is an overwhelmingly positive one…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: Singled [Out] is too brief to make a true impact, but it is still worth a look

Singled [Out] is a new documentary by directors Mariona Guiu and Ariadna Relea; and the premise is what really struck out to me, as we follow the lives of five women (under 30) of different backgrounds (Australia, Turkey, Spain and two women from China), and how they live their lives with their choices, whether they…

Read More

Melbourne International Documentary Film Festival: Five music docos not to miss in 2019

Now in its 4th year, The Melbourne International Documentary Film Festival has quickly become one of the most anticipated festival on the city’s calendar, boasting World Premieres, Australian Premieres and one off chances for Victorians to see critically acclaimed documentaries on the big screen. Today we’re looking at five of the music focused docos set…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: The Orb playfully profiled in Lunar Orbit (Canada, 2016)

If you have never heard of The Orb before I would recommend listening to their 1989 hit A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld. Even just reading that title would be enough to vaguely understand what The Orb is about and what they continue to represent. Mixed in…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: China’s 3 Dreams checks the aftermath of The Cultural Revolution two generations on

It’s been more than forty years since Emperor Mao Zedong passed, yet the events of the Revolution remain a foreign subject to much of China’s youth. Beneath the doctored history, propaganda and piecemeal curriculum, the impact of Mao’s leadership remains present in the generation that survived it. This is the heart of Nick Torrens’ documentary,…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: Placebo Alt.Russia (UK, 2016) is a fascinating documentary about Russia’s art & black market music

Placebo have always been a band that proudly sit outside of the mainstream. So it’s not a giant leap for this group of alternative musicians to want to seek out like-minded individuals when they are on tour. Placebo Alt.Russia is partially an arts and political documentary and part travelogue as the band traverse through different…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: The Slippers (Canada, 2016) is unbelievable, whimsical and charming

In the film, The Wizard of Oz Dorothy taps her ruby red slippers and says, “There’s no place like home.” But have you ever wondered where was home for those striking shoes? The documentary, The Slippers is a fascinating film that covers what became of this beloved slice of movie history in a story that…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival Review: Play Your Gender (Canada, 2016) is an inspiring music documentary that encourages female producers & engineers

Artists like Madonna, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry are some of the biggest names in the music industry. But in the shadows of these successful women you will see lots of men. When you look behind-the-scenes at the music business it is one big old boys’ club but does it have to be this…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival: Matt Conboy on the story behind Goodnight Brooklyn: Death by Audio

Music doco Goodnight Brooklyn: Death by Audio is headlining this year’s Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. We spoke to director Matt Conboy about the film’s origins and the process of bringing the final hours of one of New York’s most beloved DIY venues. Why ‘Death By Audio’? What initial connection, if any, did you have to their story? The film…

Read More

Melbourne Documentary Film Festival: We talk Mad Tiger with director Jon Yi

Japanese punk doco Mad Tiger is showing at this year’s Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. We reviewed the film earlier and the week and caught up since to talk about the film with one of the directors behind it. How did you first discover Peelander-Z? My friend Kenji Hayasaki introduced me to Peelander-Z in 2008, right when…

Read More