RiverRun and Indie Lens to Present Free Screenings of RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World in Winston-Salem and Yadkinville

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (NOVEMBER 27, 2018)— The RiverRun International Film Festival and Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, Independent Lens are presenting two free screenings of RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World, an electrifying look at Native American influence in popular music, despite attempts to ban, censor, and erase Indigenous culture.  RiverRun screen RUMBLE at 6 p.m. on December 3 at the Forsyth County Central Library located at 660 West Fifth Street in Winston-Salem and at 7 p.m. on January 17 at the Willingham Theater inside the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center located at 226 East Main Street in Yadkinville.  Both screenings will be followed by a discussion.

 As the film reveals, early pioneers of the blues such as Charlie Patton had Native as well as African American roots, and one of the first and most influential jazz singers, Mildred Bailey, had a voice trained on Native American songs. As the folk-rock era took hold in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Native Americans such as Peter La Farge and Buffy Sainte-Marie helped to define its evolution, and Native guitarists and drummers like Link Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Jesse Ed Davis, and Randy Castillo forever changed the trajectory of rock and roll. Directed by Catherine Bainbridge (Reel Injun), co-directed by Alfonso Maiorana, executive produced by legendary rock guitarist Stevie Salas (Apache) and Tim Johnson (Mohawk), and produced by Christina Fon, VP and Executive Producer of Rezolution Pictures,

RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World premieres on Independent Lens at 10 p.m. on January 21, 2019 on UNC-TV.  For more information, visit: https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/rumble.

RUMBLE brings the music and musicians to life using innovative re-creations, archival concert footage, and interviews. Their stories are told by some of the music legends who knew them, played with them, and were inspired by them, including Robbie Robertson (Mohawk), George Clinton, Taj Mahal, Slash, Jackson Browne, Taboo (Shoshone/Mexican), Buddy Guy, Quincy Jones, Derek Trucks, Tony Bennett, Iggy Pop, Steven Tyler, and Stevie Van Zandt. Also featured are Native American poet and activist John Trudell, rock critic David Fricke, director Martin Scorsese, and many more.

“This season features films that explore very personal and provocative topics and were specially selected to spark dialogue around the question, what does it mean to be a neighbor in America today?” said Sherry Simpson Dean, Senior Director of Engagement & Impact at ITVS. “With RUMBLE our hope is that audiences will connect this question with themes throughout the film, and open discussions within the community.”

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

• Catherine Bainbridge (Director/Writer/Executive Producer/Producer) has brought her signature enthusiasm and passion for storytelling to countless documentary, drama, comedy, and interactive media projects, notably Reel Injun (Independent Lens), the Peabody Award-winning documentary about Native stereotypes in Hollywood films. Her role as director on RUMBLE encapsulates her love and devotion to music, history, politics, and bringing important Indigenous stories to the mainstream.

• Alfonso Maiorana (Co-Director/Writer/Director of Photography) has DP experience on Hollywood films, independent features, movies of the week, and television series, and brings a distinctive look and feel to the films he shoots. His directing credits include The Big World which premiered at the Montreal International Film Festival.

• Stevie Salas (Executive Producer) is a world-renowned guitarist and producer of music, film, and television. As a guitar player, Salas has recorded, written and produced with artists as diverse as George Clinton, Mick Jagger, Public Enemy, Justin Timberlake, T.I., and Rod Stewart. A major label recording artist who has sold over two million solo albums around the world, Salas has been named one of the top 50 guitarists of all time by Guitar Player magazine. He was music director and consultant on American Idol from 2006 to 2010. He is also an accomplished composer credited with providing the score for several films, including the guitar score for Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. A Native American (Apache), Salas has been involved in prominent projects that support Indigenous communities, including serving as the Advisor for Contemporary Music at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and co-creating the music exhibit “Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture,” which had successful runs in Washington, DC and New York City. For his efforts in support of Native American culture, Salas received the Native American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2009.

• Tim Johnson (Executive Producer) is an experienced museum executive who recently led the development of two public memorials that honor First Nations’ contributions to Canada. As the former associate director for Museum Programs at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Johnson (Mohawk) managed the museum’s largest organizational group in both Washington and New York. In 2009, he enlisted Stevie Salas to collaborate on advancing the museum’s contemporary music program. Their creative partnership resulted in an exhibit that focused on Native musicians who achieved popular music fame or influence, and which collectively formed a legacy not widely acknowledged in music history. Thus was born the Smithsonian exhibition “Up Where We Belong: Native Musicians in Popular Culture,” which inspired RUMBLE. Active in his home community of Six Nations of the Grand River, and with several prestigious art and education institutions for more than 35 years, Johnson received the Dreamcatcher Foundation Award for Art and Culture in 2016.

• Christina Fon (Executive Producer/Producer) has brought her dynamic and award-winning formula to the production of Canadian film and television for the past 20 years. A Peabody and five-time Canadian Screen Award winner, Fon has permanently changed the landscape of the industry. Her ability to negotiate successful production deals has greenlit projects that continue to shape film and television as we know it. From the Sundance Film Festival and Canadian Screen Award-winning RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World, to the Canadian Screen Award-nominated dramatic series Mohawk Girls, Fon has demonstrated time and time again that she is a producer who can turn visions into reality. This has not gone unnoticed by major international broadcasters, including HBO Canada, CBC, Radio Canada, APTN, PBS and ARTE, with whom Christina has established valuable relationships on the international landscape.

ABOUT RIVERRUN

Founded in 1998, the RiverRun International Film Festival is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the role of cinema as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Year-round programs include the Indie Lens Pop-Up Documentary Series, RiverRun Retro and Films With Class educational programs. Each spring, RiverRun’s Festival screens new narrative, documentary, short, student and animated films, offering both audience and jury prizes in competition categories.  The 2019 RiverRun International Film Festival will take place April 4-14 with screenings in Winston-Salem and Greensboro.

 SPONSORS

The sponsors of the RiverRun International Film Festival help sustain the organization’s mission to foster a greater appreciation of cinema and a deeper understanding of the many people, cultures and perspectives of our world through regular interaction with great films and filmmakers. The 2018 sponsors include: Title Sponsors – Reynolds American, The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and UNCSA; Presenting Sponsors – City of Winston-Salem, The Millennium Fund, Wake Forest University, Wells Fargo, Elephant in the Room and MullenLowe; Marquee Sponsors – Nelson Mullins, Forsyth County, Parkway Lincoln, PNC Bank, Salem Smiles Orthodontics, Visit Winston-Salem and Kilpatrick Townsend.

 ABOUT INDIE LENS POP-UP

Indie Lens Pop-Up is a neighborhood series that brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s Independent Lens, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders and organizations together to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics, to family and relationships. Make friends, share stories, and join the conversation. Find information on our Pop-Up events happening near you: pbs.org/independentlens/indie-lens-pop-up  

 ABOUT INDEPENDENT LENS

Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing on PBS Monday nights at 10:00pm. The acclaimed series, with Lois Vossen as executive producer, features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, the series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding from PBS, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens. Join the conversation: facebook.com/independentlens and on Twitter @IndependentLens.