Musing and Grumbling.

SCREAM FOR ME SARAJEVO: music and film in Hamilton

Cover Image for SCREAM FOR ME SARAJEVO: music and film in Hamilton
Laura Wiebe
Laura Wiebe
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Steeltown (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) has way more cultural events going on than I could ever possibly take advantage of. That abundance includes music and film. As a fan of heavy metal, cinema and history, one upcoming event I am certain not to miss is the November 11th screening of Scream For Me Sarajevo.

Scream For Me Sarajevo is a documentary about the power of heavy metal in the midst of violent political chaos. The film screens as part of a special night that also features a performance by local metal band PRISMIND and a guest appearance from former Bruce Dickinson drummer Alex Elena.

This documentary is just one of many music-oriented selections included in the Hamilton Film Festival (HFF) schedule. I recently had the chance to speak with HFF’s executive director Nathan Fleet – to ask him about the history of Hamilton Film Festival, the fest’s independent focus, and its 2017 music-themed programming.

An excerpt from my interview with Nathan Fleet aired during this week’s episode of Kill Eat Exploit the Weak, and the same excerpt has been cross-posted to Hellbound.ca. Our full conversation should air on CFMU’s Morning File program next week, but in the meantime I want to highlight a few more of the screenings Nathan and I discussed.

Some of the music-themed films screening at Hamilton Film Festival 2017

  • I Go Back Home – Jimmy Scott: “it’s got a lot of star power…”
  • Live in Kingston: “that’s a combination of documentary footage but with a fictional story attached to it…”
  • Jamland: “about this group of musicians that get together and they do this gig out on a farm…” + Et tu, dude?: “about the London music scene…”
  • When They Awake: “about the new scene in aboriginal communities and the vibrant music scenes coming out of there…”
  • Three Dead Trick or Treaters: a silent horror film – “the music becomes a character because there’s no dialogue in the movie…”
  • Sherlock Jr: “Robert Bruce playing piano to the Buster Keaton film…”

See you at the fest!

[photo: IRON MAIDEN live in Toronto, July 2012]