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Melody Makers (95 minute)

Melody Makers' captures the birth of music journalism during the zeitgeist of rock n’ roll through the lens of photographer, Barrie Wentzell, Chief Contributing Photographer, Melody Maker magazine (1965-1975) whose iconic, largely unseen photo archive, is the heart of the story.

MELODY MAKERS tells the true story of the rise and fall of the most influential music publication in history. Melody Maker magazine began as a weekly jazz musician's trade paper in the 1920's and by the 1960's became an internationally recognized “must read” for rock n' roll fans and musicians alike. Melody Maker became a pop culture phenomenon and this was, to a great extent, due to its Chief Contributing Photographer, Barrie Wentzell (1965-1975) and his black and white photos that blistered across the front cover.

Melody Makers features candid interviews with the Melody Maker journalists, musicians and other subjects who worked behind the scenes who infuse the film with humour, and offer new insight about the cultural significance of the paper at a time when rock n’ roll was in its infancy and confidences were kept. The journalists and Wentzell had unprecedented access - pre paparazzi, before the national press began picking in the idiosyncrasies of the artists.

Melody Makers is rich with anecdotal stories from behind pictures. Featuring candid interviews with the Melody Maker journalists, musicians and other subjects who worked behind the scenes who infuse the film with humour, and offer new insight about the cultural significance of the paper at a time when rock n’ roll was in its infancy and Melody Maker magazine was revered as the bible of rock n' roll during this dynamic, formative and most controversial period in music history.

Alongside a very rare largely unseen iconic classic rock n' roll photograph archive, our subjects take us on an extraordinary journey into the spectacular rise and dramatic fall of Melody Maker magazine as we experience the history of rock n’ roll through the rare images from behind the scenes; of young artists at the start of their careers who became legends; of live performances and crazed fans; and of images highlighting the artistic collaboration between the musicians and Melody Maker's staffers. These pioneers of rock n’ roll blazed the trail establishing the tone, style and standard for music journalism today.

* I have a 78 min. version as well as the 95 min. feature

  • Leslie Ann Coles
    Director
    In The Refrigerator, Dancing for Doll
  • Leslie Ann Coles
    Writer
    In The Refrigerator, Dancing For Doll
  • Richard Hanet
    Producer
    All Is Lost; Still Mine, The Captains
  • Mark Sanders
    Producer
    I'll Be Home for Christmas; For Love and Honor
  • Leslie Ann Coles
    Producer
    In The Refrigerator; Death And The Housewife; Tea With Mother
  • Eric Burdon (The Animals)
    Key Cast
  • Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)
    Key Cast
  • YES (Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White)
    Key Cast
  • Dave Cousins (The Strawbs)
    Key Cast
  • Barrie Wentzell, Chief Contributing Photographer
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Music, Music Journalism, Rock, Photography, Pop, magazine
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 35 minutes 13 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 11, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    100,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada, United Kingdom, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 16th Whistler Film Festival, Voted TOP PICK at Whistler
    Whistler, BC
    Canada
    December 3, 2016
    Canadian
    TBA
  • Bare Bones Music and Film Festival Winner Best Music Feature Doc
    Oklahma
    United States
    April 21, 2017
    USA Premiere
    BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
  • 15th Female Eye Film Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    June 25, 2017
    Ontario Premiere
  • Monday Music Series, Vancity Theatre, Vancouver International Film Centre
    Vancouver
    Canada
    May 22, 2017
  • New Jersey International Film Festival
    New Jersey
    United States
    September 17, 2017
  • Flickers Rhode Island
    Rhode Island
    United States
  • Raindance Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 17, 2017
    UK Premiere
  • KIN Women's Film Festival
    Yerevan
    Armenia
    November 14, 2017
  • Red Rock Film Festival
    Utah
    United States
  • Hot Springs Women's Film Festival
    Arkansa
    United States
    March 18, 2018
    Audience Choice Award
  • The 16th Oakland International Film Festival
    Oakland, CA
    United States
    April 3, 2018
  • 16th Garden State Int. Film Festival
    New Jersey
    United States
    March 24, 2018
    Best International Documentary
  • Sante Fe Int. Film Festival
    Sante Fe
    Canada
    April 21, 2018
  • Spotlight Documentary Film Awards

    Canada
    March 22, 2018
    Spotlight Gold Award
  • Fort Myers Film Festival
    Fort Myers
    Canada
    March 21, 2018
    Florida Premiere
    Winner Best Documentary FMFF 2018
  • Meraki Film Festival
    Madrid
    Spain
    April 28, 2018
    Spainish Premiere
    Best Documentary
  • ColorTape International Film Festival
    Brisbain
    Australia
    Australian Premiere
    Nominated
  • The Nice International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema
    Nice
    France
    France
    Nominated Best Documentary & Best Director, Feature Documentary
  • 19th Kerry Film Festival
    Killarney
    Ireland
    October 19, 2018
    Irish Premiere
    Nominated Best Feature
  • Borderlands Film Festival
    Las Cruces
    Mexico
    October 5, 2018
    New Mexico Premiere
    Best Director
Distribution Information
  • House of Film
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
  • LA Coles Fine Art Films
    Country: Canada
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Leslie Ann Coles

Leslie - Ann Coles transitioned from dance and interactive performance art to film and television in 1999. Her debut film, "In The Refrigerator" which she wrote, directed and starred in screened in over thirty-five film festival and garnered 13 international awards for Best Debut Filmmaker, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Short Film, Best Avant Garde, Best Debut Filmmaker, and the Barebones Grande Jury Award for Filmmaker in an Acting Role.

Coles has won three CTV Banff Fellowships and is a Women In The Director’s Chair alumni (2006). As Founder and Artistic Director of the Female Eye Film Festival (FeFF), an independent women director’s festival established in 2001, she selects ninety independent films for the annual Female Eye Film Festival from over five hundred international entries every year. Under the auspices of The Female Eye Young Filmmaker Workshop she has mentor directed and produced 46 short films to date involving female youth at risk.

Leslie - Ann is evolving in convergent media platforms using interactive digital media and is very hands-on in the creation of her original productions including "Melody Makers", her debut feature.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Melody Makers began as an intimate artist portrait about a rock n' roll photographer, Barrie Wentzell, but became a much bigger picture when Barrie suggested that I meet his colleagues from Melody Maker magazine. This led me, and my small crew to the UK where I interviewed his colleagues, and others who worked behind the scene during the birth of rock n' roll. There, I discovered Melody Maker magazine, and learnt of its humble beginnings as a jazz musicians trade paper established in 1926, and of its dramatic transformation to become what was revered as the "bible of rock n roll". This, then led us to the musicians, who we chased around the country capturing interviews during their North America tours.

This documentary replicates the style in which Barrie took photos back in the day whereby he shot his subjects during their actual interviews, unheard of today. Many of these photos have been integrated stylistically throughout the film. Barrie's own images blistered across the front page of Melody Maker magazine (1965-1975) and are now incorporated creatively into the documentary as are his entire photographic archive which was photographed, and filmed, in order to maintain the integrity of the analogue process.