Fresh off working its way through several film festivals over the last 14 months, the Midsouth Regional Emmy award-winning "Songbirds: A Documentary" will get a local screening thanks to the Songbirds Foundation on Sunday, May 29, at the foundation at 35 Station St.
In addition to helping spread the word of the foundation's mission of education and music preservation, the one-time event will serve as a fundraiser to expand the film's global distribution initiative.
The film was made by Dagan Beckett and tells the story of not only the Songbirds Guitar Museum, which closed in August 2020, but it also tells the stories of as many of the nearly 1,400 guitars in the private collection as possible.
Beckett interviewed former staff members and internationally-known guitarists such as Vince Gill and Doyle Dykes in order to tell those stories. Working with Beckett on the film were co-writer/producers Irv Berner, David Davidson and other staff members.
"We are so proud of our work on 'Songbirds,' as well as for how well the film community has received it, and we can't wait to share this special screening with our friends and neighbors from across the Chattanooga area," Beckett said in a news release.
"One of the reasons Songbirds left the imprint it did is because of how much the people here invested in the venue's cultural and historical mission. This screening is a celebration of that mutually beneficial relationship."
In 2021, the Songbirds documentary competed in the Lonely Seal International Music and Screenplay Film Festival in Boston, where it was named a finalist for best documentary feature film, and the Franklin International Independent Film Festival in Franklin, Tennessee, where it was named the winner for best Tennessee feature film.
It also won best documentary awards at virtual festivals at the Around International Film Festival in Barcelona, Spain, the Oniros Film Awards 2021 in New York, and the 2021 Silk Road Film Awards in Cannes, France.
During the screening, raffle tickets will be available to purchase for a chance to win a guitar. VIP ticket purchases will provide access to a green room experience to meet the director and have photos taken holding the actual Emmy Award. VIP tickets also include one free raffle ticket, hors d'oeuvres and access to a cash bar.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. with live music and screening beginning at 6:30 p.m. on May 29. Admission is $20 with VIP tickets for $40.
- Staff report by Barry Courter