Fans of music documentaries, rejoice. The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame (known as LIMEHOF to Long Island culture enthusiasts in the know), is launching the world’s first film festival devoted exclusively to music docs.
The inaugural LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival will take place from August 8 – 10, with a to-be-announced lineup that will pair the best current documentaries with musical performances and conversations with the artists who have shaped music history. And while LIMEHOF has long been devoted to celebrating New York’s rich musical history, which runs the gamut from Billy Joel and Neil Diamond to Mariah Carey and Barbara Streisand, the festival aims to expand the institution’s horizons to encompass new mediums and celebrate artists from around the world.
“We have a deep connection to the music industry in Long Island, but not too long ago we decided to include ‘entertainment’ in our title. That’s a recent change, but because of that we’re starting to look into film,” LIMEHOF vice chairman and the festival’s executive director Tom Needham told IndieWire. “There are a lot of film festivals, but there are no music documentary film festivals.”
In keeping with the festival’s musical theme, the goal is to pair as many screenings as possible with performances from the artists being highlighted.
“One of the things that’s unique about having this festival at our institution is that we’re a music hall of fame. We have a lot of music memorabilia, but we also have a stage,” Needham said. “If artists are interested, they will have an invite to actually perform if that is something they’re willing to do.”
Needham and artistic director Wendy Feinberg are still curating the lineup — Feinberg admitted that finding a full slate of new music documentaries is “a challenge, but we know they’re out there!” However, the duo revealed that one film on the bill will be an upcoming documentary about Long Island native Harry Chapin that focuses on his seminal ode to parenting gone wrong, “Cat’s in the Cradle.”
“One of the legends that’s most known for being from Long Island is the great Harry Chapin,” Needham said. “For us to be able to find out so quickly that this Harry Chapin film will be at the festival is an honor for us.”
For more information on the LIMEHOF Music Documentary Film Festival, including information on how to submit your own films, visit the festival’s FilmFreeway listing.
