2017 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH WORLD PREMIERE OF CLIVE DAVIS: THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19 February 2nd, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2017 TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH WORLD PREMIERE OF CLIVE DAVIS: THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19
Film screening to be followed by special concert featuring performances by Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more in celebration of the music icon
NEW YORK, NY- February 2, 2016 -The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will open the 16th edition with the world premiere of the feature length documentary Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives at Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday, April 19, 2017. The premiere will be followed by a special concert featuring performances by Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Earth, Wind & Fire, and more, taking opening night beyond the screen to honor the legendary music executive and producer. The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 19 to April 30.
Based on Davis' 2013 bestselling autobiography, the film chronicles the historic influence of The Man with the Golden Ears, who rose from humble beginnings, and in a compelling and riveting journey, became one of the music industry's most iconic figures. Directed by Chris Perkel, the film is produced by Michael Bernstein of Scott Free Productions, with Ridley Scott and Mary Lisio execu-tive producing alongside IM Global's Stuart Ford, David Schulhof, and Deborah Zipser. Leading in-dependent film and television studio IM Global provided financing for the film.
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives is a fascinating exploration of his remarkable story and the impact that a great producer can have on artists and music, said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of the Tribeca Film Festival. We are excited to have this powerful film premiere on our opening night.
The Tribeca Film Festival has a wonderful tradition of artists supporting artists, so honoring Clive Davis and his unwavering commitment to music and creativity is the perfect way to open our 16th annual festival, said Tribeca's Paula Weinstein. With special live performances by some of the most talented artists of our time, it will be an unforgettable night to celebrate the arts and Clive.
Directing this film provided a wonderful challenge because Clive Davis stands at the center of a culture-defining array of talent that has shaped the last half century of contemporary music. His is an inspiring story thats sure to leave you with a smile on your face, a tug at your heart and a playlist of hits forever stuck in your head, said director Chris Perkel.
The film is an inspiring story of courage, resilience, talent, and an unwavering commitment to excel-lence. These qualities drove Davis - a child of early 20th Century working-class Brooklyn who lost both parents while a teenager - to full academic scholarships to NYU and Harvard Law School and a brief but impactful stint as a white-shoe lawyer. His unrelenting drive to be the best and a twist of fate led Davis to assume the presidency of Columbia Records at just 35 years of age. It was only af-ter the discovery of Janis Joplin at the Monterey Pop Festival, and Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Santana and Aerosmith shortly thereafter, that it became dramatically evident that he had a previ-ously unexplored natural gift that would command a career that has created the soundtrack for three generations of American culture.
The film examines how Davis rocketed to the top of the bare-knuckles music industry,
repeatedly building major record labels (Columbia, Arista, J), at times becoming the subject of great controversy while overcoming enormous professional and personal challenges and
tragedies.
Davis has signed, influenced and driven the careers of many of the most important music artists of the 20th and 21st Centuries. In addition to those already mentioned, these include: Simon & Gar-funkel, Bruce Springsteen, Earth Wind & Fire, Billy Joel, Barry Manilow, Patti Smith, The Kinks, The Grateful Dead, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Rod Stewart, Sean Puffy Combs, and, of course, Whitney Houston, whose explosive professional career is dramatical-ly captured in a never-before-told story that will move and enthrall audiences. The Soundtrack of Our Lives features interviews with many of these iconic artists. His storied annual Pre-Grammy Ga-la, which just turned 40, is always the hottest ticket of the year, drawing the biggest stars across music, film, television, and politics as well as business leaders and glitterati from around the world. For the first time, there will be an inside look in the documentary at the musical and social heights reached by this legendary Gala.
IM Global is handling all international distribution rights and WME is handling domestic sales.
The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival will announce its feature film slate beginning on March 1.
Images for the film and Festival can be accessed at:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2b71ijx98riiina/AAC4mnbc7TtJHE3E0zsZaRuGa?dl=0
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About Tribeca Film Festival past opening nights:
Since its inception 16 years ago, TFF has opened with a range of films, both narrative and documen-tary, that celebrate cinema and storytelling: 2016 - First Monday in May (Documentary); 2015 - Live from New York! (Documentary) with live performance from Ludacris; 2014 - Nas: Time is Ill-matic (Documentary) with live performance from Nas; 2013 - Mistaken for Strangers (Documen-tary) with live performance from The National ; 2012 - The Five-Year Engagement (Narrative); 2011 - The Union (Documentary) with live Elton John perfo
