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Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story

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Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story
Directed by
Produced by
  • Frank Marshall
  • Ryan Suffern
  • Sean M. Stuart
  • Alex Bowen
  • Maren Domzalski
Starring
Cinematography
  • Boyd Hobbs
  • Justin Kane
  • Mike Parry
Edited byMartin Singer
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed bySony Pictures Classics
Release dates
  • March 13, 2022 (2022-03-13) (SXSW)
  • May 13, 2022 (2022-05-13) (United States)
CountryUnited States

Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story is the 2022 American documentary film based on the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

The documentary directed by Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern, premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 13, 2022. It was distributed by Sony Pictures Classics in limited theatres on May 13, 2022 followed by a wide release, two weeks later. The documentary received generally positive reviews and won Best Music Film at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.[1]

Synopsis

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The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival a.k.a. Jazz Fest is an annual event showcasing the local music, culture and heritage of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was established in 1970 and is attended by hundreds of thousands each year.[2] The documentary features live performances and interviews from the 50th anniversary of the festival, featuring artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Aaron Neville, Jimmy Buffett, Irma Thomas, Pitbull, Herbie Hancock, Samantha Fish, Al Green, Tom Jones, Gary Clark Jr. and bands such as Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Marsalis Family, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indians. Archival documentary footage from the past half-century also accompanies the film. Beyond the festival, the documentary also looks into the culture of New Orleans.[3] It also documents the 2019 ceremony (the final event before being halted two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic) featuring local musicians and popular names from the music industry joining the event, as well as archival footages from the previous ceremonies.[2]

Release

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In June 2021, Sony Pictures Classics acquired the distribution rights for the film.[4] Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 13, 2022,[5] and released in limited theatres in New York City and Los Angeles on May 13, before expanding to additional markets on May 27.[6] After its theatrical run, the film was digitally released in standard definition, high definition and UHD on July 26, 2022, followed by the Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD releases on August 9, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.[7]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 43 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.20/10. The website's consensus reads: "Like the music showcased by the titular festival, Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story incorporates a long list of rich, colorful ingredients — and truly comes alive onstage. entertaining style."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[9]

Joe Leydon of Variety summarised the documentary as a "celebration of music, cuisine and multiculturalism".[10] Robert Abele of Los Angeles Times wrote: "a rollicking, heartfelt shout-out to a cherished fairground blowout that has long buoyed a routinely troubled city."[11] In a three-star review, Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post commented that the documentary "captures the vibrant energy of the Big Easy".[12] Neil Minnow of RogerEbert.com gave three out of four, and summarised: "After the pure joy of the musical numbers, the best thing about this movie is that even with all of its abundance it leaves you wanting more."[13]

Glenn Kenny of The New York Times commented that the film is "conscientiously attentive to the festival’s homegrown eclecticism."[14] Gerald Peary of The Arts Fuse commented that "for both good and bad, Jazz Fest breaks away from the 2019 celebration to show us all kinds of things" especially with the coverage of Hurricane Katrina, explaining the difference between Cajun music and Zydeco apart from covering the earlier Jazz Fest events.[15] Josef Woodard of Santa Barbara Independent called it as a "fascinating, mighty fine gumbo of a film experience" and "one of the finer music documentaries in the current crowded menu."[16] Mike Shutt of /Film wrote "While there are brief segments regarding the city's history, this is a film intended to celebrate just one thing, and that is the festival itself."[17]

Steve Pond of TheWrap felt that the film "combines funky delights with lots of heart".[18] Cory Woodroof of 615 Film commented that it "captures the heart and soul of how a festival can represent a city, and how a city can keep its culture true to itself, no matter how the times change".[19] Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail commented that the documentary is the "kind of electric, spirit-lifting music documentary that helps us reinvent our lifes so that we can live our entire existence in the heart of Louisiana."[20] Todd McCarthy of Deadline Hollywood called it as "a documentary overflowing with performers and music that still barely begins to scratch the surface of what’s gone on musically for ages in the fabled, oft-distressed city."[21]

Accolades

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Accolades received by Encanto
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Grammy Awards February 5, 2023 Best Music Film Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story Won [22]

References

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  1. ^ "Louisiana wins and loses at the 2023 Grammy Awards". OffBeat Magazine. February 6, 2023. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "JAZZ FEST: A New Orleans Story". Sony Pictures Classics. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  3. ^ "Movie Review: Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  4. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 3, 2021). "Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Frank Marshall & Ryan Suffern Documentary 'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story'". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Sexton, Paul (March 16, 2022). "SXSW Premiere For 'Jazz Fest' Documentary With Jimmy Buffett, Katy Perry, More". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Grobar, Matt (March 15, 2022). "'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story': Sony Pictures Classics Sets Release Date For Documentary Exec Produced By Jimmy Buffett". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  7. ^ Prange, Stephanie (July 18, 2022). "Music Doc 'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story' Due on Digital July 26, Disc Aug. 9". Media Play News. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  8. ^ "Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  9. ^ "Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  10. ^ Leydon, Joe (March 17, 2022). "'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story' Review: Salute to a Unique and Enormous Music Festival Lets the Good Times Roll". Variety. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  11. ^ Abele, Robert (May 12, 2022). "Review: 'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story' engagingly breezes through event's musical history". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  12. ^ "Review | 'Jazz Fest' documentary isn't just about jazz, or music, but life". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  13. ^ Minow, Nell. "Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story movie review (2022)". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  14. ^ Kenny, Glenn (May 12, 2022). "'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story' Review: An Event With Unique Flavor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  15. ^ Peary, Gerald (May 29, 2022). "Film Review: "Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story" – Close to an Infomercial". The Arts Fuse. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  16. ^ Woodard, Josef (June 21, 2022). "Review | 'Jazz Fest: a New Orleans Story' at Santa Barbara's Riviera Theatre". The Santa Barbara Independent. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  17. ^ Shutt, Mike (October 17, 2022). "Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story Review: Riding The Line Between Celebration And Commercialization". /Film. Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  18. ^ Pond, Steve (March 13, 2022). "'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story' Film Review: Music Doc Combines Funky Delights With Lots of Heart". TheWrap. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  19. ^ Woodroof, Cory (September 14, 2022). "'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story' a jubilant tribute to the Big Easy (Review)". 615 Film. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  20. ^ "Review: Soul-lifting doc Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story will have you abandoning your life for Bourbon Street". The Globe and Mail. June 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  21. ^ McCarthy, Todd (March 17, 2022). "SXSW Review: Frank Marshall & Ryan Suffern's 'Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story'". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  22. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Thomas, Carly (February 5, 2023). "Grammy Awards: Complete List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
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