Tucson Film and Music Festival Poster

Another day has passed by in the Tucson Film and Music Festival, but there is still time to get out there and support a great event and ensure its continued success here in Tucson.  The opening set of films yesterday, I Need That Record, and Dig Comics, were easily the highlight of the day for this writer.  If you missed them, sorry, these were really well done documentaries and were about interesting subjects.  But there is still a nice slate of films today to check out.

The day begins at noon at Crossroads 6 Grand Cinemas on Grant and Swan with a double bill of Back to the Basics: The Story of Luckenbach, Texas and Pocket Full of Soul.  The screening will be followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers.  Back to the Basics is a short documentary about the city of Luckenbach, Texas and its plethora of interesting residents and its status as a culturally and musically relevant city.  Pocket Full of Soul explores the history of the harmonica in music and features narration by Huey Lewis with John Popper, Clint Black, Robert Klein and more.

The event this space has really been looking forward to, the Music Video-Rama, and it happens next at the Crossroads 6.  It screens at 1:30 Sunday afternoon and will have a Q and A after the films.   You can check out stories on many of the filmmakers in this part of the festival here, here, and here.    Also screening will be a video produced by TFMF director Michael Toubassi and Steve Valdez called Saint Conformity by Giant Sand, and it features Tucson’s own Howe Gelb.  This event is sure to be a great time.

The 3:00 hour will bring Bicycle Lane to the Crossroads screen.  This is narrative feature directed by Jeffery W. Ruggles that focuses on one man’s journey across automobile choked Los Angeles, as he just wants to see the girl of his dreams. This is the World Premiere of the film and this one really looks like it could be a winner.

Starting at 5:00 at the Crossroads is the inspiring and heart tugging D Tour.  This film follows professional musician Pat Spurgeon as he tours the country while fighting against a failing kidney.  The film explores his struggles to get dialysis, find a donor, and generally focus on his health before is music.  The emotional roller coaster that is major illness and the desire to be creative and do what one loves are juxtaposed in this powerful film.

There is a crossover as Cruzando will screen next at the Crossroads at 7:00 while Closing Night film (there are still events tomorrow, Monday the 12th) Rock Prophecies will screen at the Rialto Theatre at 7:30.  Cruzando is the story of a family and its struggles attempting to cross the border into the U.S. to visit their imprisoned father.  Rock Prophecies tells the story of Robert Knight and his photographic career that followed bands like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones before they became famous.  This journey also looks at some bands of today and how they can become the stars of tomorrow.  This is a film this writer has been looking forward to since they announced the slate.

The night wraps up at The Rialto with Lost Dream, director Asif Ahmed’s work that tells the story of two college students Perry and Giovanni, and their tumultuous but powerful friendship.  The film will show their struggles to find salvation, and will they ultimately find it?  Head to the Rialto tonight at 9:30 to find out.

The festival will still be going on tomorrow so check back for the info you need to wrap up your Tucson Film and Music Festival fix.

For more info: 
Tucson Film and Music Festival Lineup
The Rialto Theatre
Crossroads 6 Grand Cinemas