Doc’n Roll film festival comes to Bristol for the first time
Ever wondered why there are so many great music documentaries around these days? Doc’n Roll Film Festival co-director Colm Forde has the answer: the crowdfunding revolution. Around 90% of the films shown at the ever-expanding, touring fest are financed via the likes of Kickstarter or Indiegogo. “The reason behind all of this happening now is that you can bypass the funding gatekeepers, which you couldn’t do 15 years ago,” he explains. “So you can use your own ingenuity on Facebook or Twitter or harness a band’s following to gather the vast majority of the funds needed. Once you get to that stage, the gatekeepers usually open the door or you can go ahead and do it yourself.”
But there’s a problem – and it’s one that applies to smaller and independently financed films generally. Funding is only half the struggle; getting your documentary in front of an audience is another matter altogether, especially now that so many films are chasing so few cinema screens. Five years ago, Colm and his partner noticed that while most European countries have dedicated music documentary festivals (Croatia and Romania even have two apiece) there’s no equivalent in the UK. “Nobody was picking up these films. They would just get a UK premiere, generally in London at places like at Raindance or the East End Film Festival. Then they’d just sit there on the shelf not going anywhere until they’re released at some stage on DVD or VOD.”
Having identified this cultural blind spot, they proceeded to fill it with the inaugural Doc’n Roll Film Festival at the Hackney Picture House four years ago, screening 12 films over four days. “We wanted to provide a platform for these films to be seen where they should be shown – in a cinema with a great sound system.”
This proved such a success that the festival has rapidly expanded in both size and scope. Now it’s on a five city, BFI-backed UK tour, which takes in Bristol for the first time. But why us? “It was a no-brainer really, after Brighton, Manchester and Liverpool. We’re following where the alternative music culture has become well established.”
He estimates that around 50% of the audience so far are fans of specific bands or genres, but the intention is to create a trusted brand that will encourage people to take a punt on an act or style of music they may not have encountered before. Indeed, one of the most impressive things about the festival’s programme is its genuine eclecticism. Instead of predictable puff pieces for the usual critically approved suspects, it delves deeper into music subcultures. Where else could you expect to see profiles of jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald and John Coltrane alongside explorations of doom and death metal and UK premieres of new films about grindcore and The Wedding Present? “The reason why we’re so eclectic is that both myself and my partner have really broad tastes in left-of-field music across musical genres,” explains Colm. “We don’t want to be too niche. The name Doc n’Roll is a catchphrase to pique interest rather than limiting ourselves as a rock and roll documentary film festival.”
The Doc’n Roll Film Festival runs from June 27-July 1 at the Watershed and Rough Trade. Follow the links below for further information on all screenings. We’ve also included The Doom Doc, which shows at the Cube on July 8 and is followed by a live performance by five of the bands featured in the film. For boring contractual reasons, this one isn’t officially showing as part of Doc’n Roll, though it has done elsewhere.
