A four-day festival dedicated to music-focused films, featuring documentaries, narrative features, and live music performances.
Sound Unseen returns to AFS Cinema from August 6 to 9, a four-day run that bills itself as Austin's only festival dedicated exclusively to music-focused films. It's now in its sixth annual edition, and the programming pulls from documentaries, narrative features, music videos and short films that look at the artists and cultures behind the music. The whole thing is directed by producer Becky Arreaga, who brings more than three decades of experience in cultural programming and artist partnerships to the festival.
Opening night is Thursday, August 6, at 7 PM with a 20th anniversary screening of Barbara Kopple's Shut Up & Sing, the documentary about The Chicks. From there, the schedule builds out over the next few days with films about Sara Bareilles, Eddie Cochran, The Black Angels, Big Boys, Tele Novella and Mama Duke. On Saturday, August 8, there's a shorts program from 4 PM to 5:30 PM that includes a film about Austin punk band Meat Joy, featuring John Hawkes playing under the name John Perkins and Gretchen Phillips.
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It's not just screenings, either. The festival rounds out with filmmaker Q&As, red carpets, industry gatherings, live music events and special anniversary presentations, so you can hang around and talk to the people behind the films. Tickets run $18 to $20, and the whole thing takes place at AFS Cinema, 6259 Middle Fiskville Rd, Austin, TX 78752.
