Celebrating 25 years of film, music, and art

25TH ANNUAL FILM + MUSIC FESTIVAL

MPLS NOV 13-17 | ROCH DEC 5-8 | ATX DEC 12-15

More Information | Events and Tickets

Sound Unseen celebrates 25 years with another lineup packed with films and music for everyone. Over 50 films covering every musical genre. From Ani DiFranco to Steppenwolf. Devo to Pavement. Linda Perry to Lunachicks. Take a look at the full movies and music lineup here.

The Current will be providing several opportunities for your chance to win your way into one of seven screenings.

11/13: DEVO (Opening night film)

Explore Devo's 50-year career through never-before-seen archival and interviews with co-founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale. Born in response to the Kent State massacre, Devo took their concept of "de-evolution" from a cult following to near-rock star status with their groundbreaking 1980 hit "Whip It", all while preaching an urgent social commentary. "DEVO" is directed by Chris Smith, whose credits include "Wham!", "Fyre", "100 Foot Wave", and "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond". The film is a co-production of VICE Studios, Fremantle, and Library Films.

11/14: Spider John Koerner: Been Here… Done That with guests Don McGlynn (Director) and Charlie Parr

Spider John Koerner and his pals Dave Ray and Tony Glover, along with their coffee house friend Bob Dylan, were a primary inspiration to the music scene in Minneapolis in the early 1960s. Band members from The Beatles, and many musicians from the British Invasion like The Kinks and David Bowie and Ian Anderson, and on the West Coast The Doors, were fascinated with Koerner, Ray and Glover’s part wild style and part reverence toward the Blues tradition. Bonnie Raitt covered his songs and became a lifelong friend. And more recent musicians like Beck loved his music. This revealing documentary shows many sides of Koerner, and his philosophy, artistic ambitions and reflections about mortality. Sometimes, his pursuits are cosmic.

11/14: Since Yesterday: The Untold Story of Scotland’s Girl Bands

A feature-length documentary unearthing the Scottish girl bands from 1960 onwards that are missing from the ranks of global success; artists whose work was, and continues to be, ignored by the selective bias of a male-dominated industry. Blending personal anecdotes with a scrapbook-style audiovisual aesthetic, the film takes us on a decade-by-decade adventure, crafting the ultimate visual mixtape. Discover unheard demos, lost archives, and rare performances that celebrate the game-changers, trailblazers, pop stars, post-punks and pioneers who never compromised, and subsequently got lost in time. The film takes a critical look at the barriers women have faced making music in the past, and still face today. It asks how we can inspire young women to make music, if those who do so are continuously erased from our cultural history. Written and narrated by acclaimed performer and recording artist Carla J. Easton, this is a powerful global story told through a local lens.

11/16: Pavements with guest Robert Green (Editor)

An examination of the iconic 1990s indie band Pavement appears to be just another music documentary—until it isn’t. A prismatic hybrid of narrative, scripted, documentary, musical, and metatextual forms, the film intimately shows the band preparing for their sold-out 2022 reunion tour while simultaneously tracking the preparations for a musical based on their songs, a museum devoted to their history, and a big-budget Hollywood biopic inspired by their saga as the most important band of a generation.

11/16: 1-800-ON-HER-OWN

Ani DiFranco crashed onto the music scene in the early ‘90s, a thundering new voice in the cultural wilderness, unapologetically bisexual, political and feminist. She toured relentlessly, thrashing out hundreds of frenzied shows that were part mosh pit, part hootenanny and part full-on tent revival, then selling cassette tapes from the trunk of her car to make it to the next gig. Ani became a worldwide phenomenon when she beat the male-dominated music industry at its own game by founding Righteous Babe Records, the first “woman-run non-corporate queer-happy” label, still going strong after nearly 35 years. The press called her “an entrepreneurial wonder” and “the industry’s worst nightmare.” Prince called her “my hero.” Ani simply called herself a folk singer, dedicated to art, activism and staying true to herself, no matter the cost.

1-800-ON-HER-OWN takes us on a wild cinematic road trip, from DiFranco’s punk-folk past to her life today as she reinvents herself as a passionate activist and revered rock star. Throughout the ride, she’s brutally honest, famously foul-mouthed and totally hilarious. Her daily challenges resonate as we reveal both an enduring, inspiring musical icon and a very relatable contemporary “everywoman” with her own epic fails and hard-won victories.

*Everyone who purchases a ticket to this screening before October 31 will be entered into a drawing to see Ani DiFranco live at First Avenue on April 8, 2025

11/16: Linda Perry: Let It Die Here (Closing night film) with guests Linda Perry, Don Hardy (Director), and Shawn Dailey (Producer)

As one of the most recognizable artists of the last 30 years, Linda Perry became an icon with her signature hat, attitude and chart-topping hit “What’s Up” with her band 4 Non Blondes. Since then, she has gone on to make a name for herself as a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, creating hits for artists such as Adele, Christina Aguilera, Brandi Carlisle, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Dolly Parton, Pink and Gwen Stefani. In his film, award-winning Sound Unseen alum Don Hardy (Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents) takes viewers on an intimate and revealing journey, exploring the life of this pioneering and talented artist.

This film gives viewers unlimited access to Linda's life and creative process, but it’s much more than the story of a talented musician/writer. "Linda Perry: Let It Die Here" offers an intimate look at a vulnerable and courageous woman who dreams big but still struggles with the past and present, with fear, shame, identity, and the burdens of family – grappling with many of the same big questions we all do: Who am I? What’s my purpose? What kind of legacy am I leaving behind?

About Sound Unseen

In the fall of 1999, Sound Unseen introduced itself as a unique, cutting edge “films-on-music” festival in Minneapolis. It has since established itself as one of the premier niche festivals in the country, but more importantly as a vital part of the regional cultural scene. Now in its 23rd year, the festival has expanded to include year-round programming, unique pop-up events, and special screenings including world and regional premieres. In 2021 they are also expanding to include live in person screenings in Austin, Texas.

Named “One of the 25 Coolest Film Festivals In The World” in 2016 and 2019 & “One of 20 Great Film Festivals for First-Time Moviemakers” in 2022 by MovieMaker Magazine, the “Best Winter Film Festival” by the Star Tribune 2012, and the “Best of the Fests 2010” from Mpls/St Paul Magazine, Sound Unseen continues its tenure as the region’s premier films-on-music festival. While bringing the best in documentaries, short films, and music videos it also showcases rare concert footage, interactive panels, and live music events. As part of its year-round presence, Sound Unseen offers a successful monthly screening series and special events throughout the Twin Cities. This diversity in content is one of the things that separates Sound Unseen from the typical outdoor mega concerts and film festivals.

Sound Unseen has received press coverage in local Minneapolis and Austin media outlets including The Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, City Pages, The Austin Chronicle, and Secrets of the City; radio stations The Current, KQRS, MPR, Radio K, KUTX, and KFAI and television news including NBC, FOX, and CBS. National media mentions have included Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and USA Today.