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Bay Area Premiere

There are many that believe that Elvis is still alive. If he truly is, he wears a mask and goes by the name Orion. “Orion: The Man Who Would Be King” tells the story of Jimmy Ellis – an unknown singer plucked from obscurity, and thrust into the spotlight as part of a crazy scheme that had him masquerade as Elvis back from the grave. With an outlandish fictional identity torn from the pages of the best selling novel “Orion” by Gail Brewer Giorgio, the backing of the legendary birthplace of rock ‘n roll Sun Records and a voice that seemed to be the very twin of Presley’s himself, the scheme – concocted in the months after Presley’s death exploded into a cult success – and the ‘Elvis is alive’ myth was begun. Dir Jeanie Finlay, 86 min, UK/2015

TICKET LINK:  https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1076641

In 1964, Johnny Cash – who up to that point was known solely as a country singer – recorded “Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian”, a concept album of folk songs about the treatment of Native Americans. It was not a great commercial success, primarily because radio stations and disc jockeys were unwilling to play such socially engaged protest songs. Angry and disappointed, Cash called Billboard Magazine to account in an open letter. “Where are your guts?” he wrote, and drew a parallel between the treatment of Native Americans and blacks – the Civil Rights Movement was at its height in 1964. In response to criticism that he had very rapidly transformed into a folk singer, he explained, “As times change, I change.”

This engaging documentary is a meditative mystery revealing an unknown moment in history that changed America with performances and interviews from musicians Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Rosanne Cash, and comes at a time when America is once again gripped by racial tension. Dir Antonino D’Ambrosio, 59 min, USA/2015.

preceded by short film “Hi, How Are You Daniel Johnston?”  Directed by filmmaker Gabriel Sunday, Daniel Johnston stars in this psychedelic short film about an aging musician coming to terms with the dreams of yesteryear.

TICKET LINK:  https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1076615

West Coast Premiere

Featuring the stark, iconic photography of Thrasher Magazine’s Ken Salerno, dynamic animation, off-the-cuff interviews and archival footage “Riot on the Dance Floor” brings to life the gritty story of one of New Jersey’s most infamous clubs and its’ larger than life promoter Randy Now – postman by day, punk rock booker by night.

City Gardens was a venue for underground music and during its time it traversed the entertainment spectrum; from the comedy of Henny Youngman to Nine Inch Nails, New Order to Nirvana.

“Riot on the Dance Floor” is a journey of musical champions and underdogs and above all, the freedom and liberation of having complete creative control. It is also the story of a music business lifer; a road warrior, part-time musician, who went looking for a place to spin his New Wave records and ended up building an independent movement. Dir Steve Tozzi, 114 Min, USA/2015.

TICKET LINK:  https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1076631