Post by yerblues1968 on Sept 19, 2010 18:07:13 GMT -5
Sid Bernstein, the man who brought The Beatles to The United States.
SID BERNSTEIN PRESENTS . . . FINISHING FUNDS
kickstarter.com
Project by Matt Groff
August 26, 2010
He booked The Beatles in Carnegie Hall, brought the best of the British Invasion to America, invented the stadium concert, and brought talents like Tito Puente and James Brown to mainstream America in a polarized era.
And you've never heard of him.
Sid Bernstein changed the music game forever and his story, his legacy, and his important place in music history are in danger of being lost. But you can help prevent this by supporting this moving film about his life, his love of music and his legacy.
"Sid was [promoting civil rights], what the Kennedys and Martin Luther King discovered later, but Sid had already begun to do it through music,"
– James Brown, in his final interview
ABOUT THE FILM
How did a poor Jewish kid from Harlem come to be one of the most influential men in the music business? And why did those traits that propelled his rise also fuel his fall? The documentary Sid Bernstein Presents..., directed by Jason Ressler and Evan Strome, is an exploration of the complexity of the American dream through the life of Sid Bernstein, one of the most important, yet unheralded, figures in modern music history.
The film's most prominent interviews include a diverse array of stars such as Lenny Kravitz, Shirley MacLaine, Steven Van Zandt, The Moody Blues, Paul Anka, Dick Clark, The Rascals, Jerry Vale, Phoebe Snow, The Animals, Herman's Hermits, comedians Red Buttons and Pat Cooper, music titans Ahmet Ertegun, Bruce Lundvall, Woodstock Promoter Michael Lang and more. It also contains the last filmed interviews with late greats Tito Puente and James Brown and features rare and never-before-seen footage.
Sid Bernstein Presents...The Film. (2:08 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RePuJdBAzl8
A GLARING OMISSION: SID BERNSTEIN FOR THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME
We hope that this film will become the clarion call for Sid's rightful place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame while he is still alive.
Sid is nearly 92 years old, so the time to rectify this glaring omission is drawing short. Helping this documentary spread the word about Sid's amazing career, life and philosophy should go a long way toward establishing a history that should be known to all music lovers. This film will bring the spotlight back on Sid and propel the rock and roll community to recognize the insight, leadership and risk-taking that led to some of the most important achievements and innovations in the music scene.
ABBA and Jimmy Cliff (2010). The Dave Clarke Five (2008). King Curtis, Lovin' Spoonful, Billie Holiday and Earth, Wind and Fire (2000). Fleetwood Mac (1998). The (Young) Rascals (1997). The Animals (1994). Ruth Brown and Sly and the Family Stone (1993). Louie Armstrong and The Kinks (1990). Dion and Otis Redding (1989). The Beatles (1988). Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and Fats Domino (1986). Sid Bernstein's career has cast its impressive shadow on a diverse and incredible array of stars. More than twenty of his artists & acts have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since its founding in 1986, yet the name Sid Bernstein is conspicuously missing.
A DECADE-LONG JOURNEY
Filming for Sid Bernstein Presents... began in October 1999 as a self-funded independent documentary. Shot on gorgeous Super 16mm film, perhaps the last feature length documentary to shoot exclusively on film, the film captures Sid Bernstein in his natural New York environment as he continues promoting music acts well into his 80s. Now, ten years on the film has finally, through various fits and spurts of financing, reached a stage where it is nearly ready for distribution. We need this last bit of money to finish the last rights licensing, final post-production of the project and create masters for various distribution outlets.
This great article provides some insight into the challenges we've faced in bringing the film to audiences everywhere.
Interview with Sid Bernstein Presents . . . Jason Ressler about the film at 3news.co.nz. (5:34 minutes)
www.3news.co.nz/Sid-Bernstein-doco-10-years-in-the-making/tabid/572/articleID/143352/Default.aspx
Sid Bernstein Presents . . . World Premiere on Sunday, February 28, 2010
at Documentary Edge Festival in Auckland, New Zealand.
www.documentaryedge.org.nz/newsletters/2010-33.html
documentaryedge.org.nz/2010/film/sid-bernstein-presents
WHY PLEDGE?
The money raised from Kickstarter will go to ensure the finishing of the film in anticipation of film festival screenings and additional distribution and broadcast. What does that mean? Your pledge will go towards the final mixing, online color correction, rights licensing and masters creation for the various formats (PAL, NTSC, HD, SD).
Your pledge is an important part of making that happen. It has taken an extraordinary effort to bring Bernstein Presents... from it's humble origins more than 10 years ago to the place where it is today. We're so close to finishing this amazing film and telling the world this man's incredible story...
As documentary filmmakers, we certainly understand tight budgets. But this film is important and you can still help us with just a moment of your time. Give us a boost by spreading the word about our Kickstarter page to your friends and family and through websites like Twitter, Facebook, blogs, message boards, etc. It's easy, and all the links and widgets you need are at the top.
Sid Bernstein interview with Paul Sladkus of Good News Broadcast in Little Poland Restaurant, New York.
Sid Bernstein talks about The Beatles and living in the home of The Beatles Manager, Brian Epstein
during the second half of the video. [Part 1 of 2] (12:37 minutes).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=174FsiBZ9NQ
Sid Bernstein interview with Paul Sladkus of Good News Broadcast in Little Poland Restaurant, New York.
Sid Bernstein talks about John Lennon and projected concert. [Part 2 of 2] (14:32 minutes)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HjWP4jQmxo
This project will only be funded if at least $100,000 is pledged by Monday Nov 1, 5:00pm EDT.