By Annie Lyons
Music lovers can rejoice — the 2024 Sundance Film Festival program has plenty of offerings to get your head rocking and feet tapping.
Read on for singular documentaries that give new insight into beloved musicians, timely explorations of the weaponization of Black artists and music, and an Episodic nonfiction series that takes you back to the 1990s underground scene. On the fiction front, discover a heightened origin story in which an rambunctious Belfast hip-hop trio play themselves.
Plus, as part of the Festival’s 40th Edition Celebration screenings, a special 20th anniversary version of Ondi and David Timoner’s DIG!, fittingly called DIG! XX, will premiere. The Grand Jury Prize–winning documentary first premiered at the 2004 Festival and explores art and commodification through the tenuous relationship between the front men of The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. In addition to being a digitally enhanced, remixed, and remastered refresh of DIG!, DIG! XX features 35 minutes of previously unseen footage. That’s certainly something to dance about.
Single Film Tickets are on sale now, so make sure to add these films to your screening schedule if you’re ready to catch a groove. Viewing from home? Don’t worry! Four of the below selections are available online.
As We Speak (U.S. Documentary Competition) — In his feature directorial debut, J.M. Harper scrutinizes the history and growing use of rap lyrics as evidence in the U.S. criminal justice system. Bronx rap artist Kemba anchors the journey through conversations that provide a holistic understanding of the targeting of Black artists and music. Stylishly blending together animation, interviews, and reenactments, As We Speak strikingly reinforces the importance of artistic expression and the vital need for its protection. Available in person and online.
DEVO (Premieres) — Whether you’re a Devo devotee or only know “Whip It,” this documentary paints an energetic, refreshing portrait of the visionary yet often misunderstood new wave band. Filmmaker Chris Smith (American Movie, 1999 Sundance Grand Jury Prize: Documentary) illuminates Devo’s artistic underpinnings with fascinating archival and concert footage, from their formation in response to the Kent State Massacre to their countercultural spirit and Dada influences. Prepare to be humming for days after. Available in person.
Eno (New Frontier) — What does it mean for a film to never be the same twice? It’s a question that underscores Eno, a wholly unique study of pioneering musician and artist Brian Eno. Director Gary Hustwit and creative technologist Brendan Dawes employ a bespoke generative software to create a generative film that presents different scenes, order, and music every screening. Designed to be experienced live, Eno’s infinite versions pay homage to the artist’s unconventional ideas, innovative use of technology, and boundless creativity. Available in person.
Kneecap (NEXT) — Meet Kneecap, a hip-hop trio hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unafraid to court controversy and equipped with a singular blend of Irish and English lyrics, the politically charged group proudly champion their cultural heritage. In Rich Peppiatt’s directorial debut and the first Irish-language film to ever premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the Kneecap lads play themselves in a boisterous, celebratory, and heightened origin story, complete with Michael Fassbender in a supporting role. Available in person and online.
LOLLA: THE STORY OF LOLLAPALOOZA (Episodic) — In 1991, the band members of Jane’s Addiction conceived of a farewell tour with a diverse assortment of artists and an abundance of countercultural attitude. Thus, Lollapalooza was born. This documentary series recounts the history of the popular music festival, tracing its underground origins to its ascension into the mainstream. Filmmaker Michael John Warren draws from a treasure trove of archival footage for an riveting look at the festival’s lasting influence. The Festival proudly presents the first two episodes of this three-part documentary series. Available in person and online.
Luther: Never Too Much (Premieres) — For more than 30 years, R&B and soul artist Luther Vandross transfixed audiences with his iconic voice. After starting as a supporting vocalist for some of music’s biggest names, he struck out on his own and achieved a dozen platinum records. With transfixing intimacy and sensitivity, two-time Sundance Film Festival director Dawn Porter’s portrait of Vandross will give old fans and newcomers alike a deeper appreciation for the man with the velvet voice. Available in person.
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (World Cinema Documentary Competition) — In 1960, Louis Armstrong traveled to newly independent Congo as part of a PepsiCo- and State Department–sponsored tour, not long after the CIA-backed overthrow of the country’s first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba. Within months of his visit, Lumumba was assassinated. Director Johan Grimonprez (Double Take, 2010 Sundance Film Festival) unpacks how the U.S. government weaponized Black American jazz musicians to conceal covert operations during the Congo Crisis, weaving a rich exploration of the first African postcolonial coup that feels just as urgent today. Available in person and online.
The Greatest Night in Pop (Special Screenings) — Director Bao Nguyen (Be Water, 2020 Sundance Film Festival) invites audiences down memory lane in this nostalgic, vibrant account of charity single “We Are the World.” Recorded in 1985 to benefit African famine relief, the song assembled 46 of the biggest names in music, including Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, and Bob Dylan. Drawing from rare footage, Nguyen and co-songwriter Richie chronicle the fateful recording session that proved to be one of pop music’s most iconic collaborations. Available in person.
