The directorial debut of Oscar-nominated actor Casey Affleck, I'm Still Here is a striking portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of internationally acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix. With remarkable access, I'm Still Here follows the Oscar-nominee as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to reinvent himself as a hip hop musician. Sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, and always riveting, the film is a portrait of an artist at a crossroads. Defying expectations, it deftly explores notions of courage and creative reinvention, as well as the ramifications of a life spent in the public eye. (Magnolia Pictures)

A wildly entertaining, star-studded documentary about The Beatles’s favorite American musician, Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? is a vibrant and definitive portrait of one of the most talented singer-songwriters in pop music history. Directed by Emmy and Grammy nominee John Scheinfeld (The U.S. Vs. John Lennon), the film combines compelling interviews with Nilsson’s family, friends and colleagues — including Brian Wilson, Randy Newman, Robin Williams, Micky Dolenz and Yoko Ono — with rare and never-before-seen archival footage, home movies, and excerpts from a recently discovered oral autobiography. The film delves deeply into Nilsson’s artistic process, his spirited relationship with John Lennon, and the additions that haunted him in and outside the studio — as well as the peace he found as a devoted husband and father. (Lorber Films)

In the heart of Portugal, amid the mountains, the month of August is abuzz with people and activity. Emigrants return home, set off fireworks, fight fires, sing karaoke, hurl themselves from bridges, hunt wild boar, drink beer, and make babies. Our Beloved Month of August is an intoxicating blend of visuals, sound and music that follows the strange relationship between a father, a daughter and a nephew in a traveling pop band. [Cinema Guild]

Fausta suffers from “the milk of sorrow”, an illness transmitted through mother’s milk by women who have been violated or mistreated during the war of terrorism in Peru. The war has ended, but Fausta's life is a reminder of it because “the illness of fear” stole her soul. Now, her mother’s sudden death forces her to confront her fears and the secret that is hidden inside of her: she has inserted a potato into her vagina to serve as a protective shield that repels disgusting intruders. THE MILK OF SORROW is the story of a search for re-awakening, a journey from fear to freedom. [Olive Films]

A tight-knit group of New York City street dancers, including Luke (Malambri) and Natalie (Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world's best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

Thirty years ago, Andrei Simoniovich Filipov, the renowned conductor of the Bolshoi orchestra, was fired for hiring Jewish musicians. Now a mere cleaning man at the Bolshoi, he learns by accident that the Châtelet Theater in Paris invites the Bolshoi orchestra to play there. He decides to gather together his former musicians and to perform in Paris in the place of the current Bolshoi orchestra. As a solo violin player to accompany his old Jewish or Gypsy musicians he wants Anne-Marie Jacquet, a young virtuoso. If they all overcome the hardships ahead this very special concert will be a triumph.

On October 12th 1978 New York Police discovered the lifeless body of a 20 year-old woman, slumped under the bathroom sink in a hotel room. She was dressed in her underwear and had bled to death from a stab wound. The woman was Nancy Spungen, an ex-prostitute, sometimes stripper, heroin addict, and girlfriend of Sex Pistols' bassist Sid Vicious. In a trial by tabloid newspapers Vicious was pronounced guilty before noon the following day. But the case never had the chance to be brought to trial, and a number of New York cops weren't convinced. Less than six months later in a flat in New York's Greenwich Village, Sid, himself aged only 21, died of a heroin overdose. For the next 28 years the assumption was that Sid did it - case closed. Over time, the death of Sid and Nancy has passed into rock legend and has only added to the controversial and notorious image of the Sex Pistols and punk music. At the request of Sid's mother, who committed suicide in 1996, rock author and punk expert Alan Parker has devoted himself to discovering what really happened in room 100. Parker has re-interviewed 182 people, re-examined NYPD evidence, and gone back to his original interviews with Sid's mother.

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll is a ripsnorting portrait of mercurial British punk rock pioneer Ian Dury. From a troubled childhood and a battle with debilitating polio to the effects of fame on relationships and fatherhood, here are the highs and lows of a life lived sneeringly, unapologetically out loud. (Tribeca Film)

Kenny Chesney, the biggest ticket-seller of this century in any musical genre, has wrapped his latest concert tour, the Sun City Carnival. This spring, Sony Pictures Releasing's special programming division, The Hot Ticket, will take audiences for another ride. For a limited engagement beginning in April 2010 in movie theaters nationwide, Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D, will give fans the chance to live the fun, the friends, the songs and the moments that make Kenny Chesney the must-see concert experience to kickoff the summer season. (Sony Pictures)

Narrated by Johnny Depp, award-winning writer-director Tom DiCillo’s riveting film uncovers historic, previously unseen footage of The Doors and provides new insight into the revolutionary impact of their music and legacy. “When You’re Strange” is the first feature documentary to tell their story. (Rhino Records)

Trunk Show: a traveling display of unique goods, packed and unpacked along the way. Neil Young Trunk Show: Jonathan Demme's display of Neil Young's musical and spiritual soul. Young on a stage full of personal icons; alone in the center of a circle of his beloved acoustic guitars; in the midst of stellar musicians Ben Keith, Ralph Molina, Rick Rosas, Pegi Young and Anthony "Sweet Pea" Crawford, plus an onstage painter portrayed by Eric Johnson. There are delicately offered acoustic numbers like "Sad Movies" and "Mexico"; mesmerizing electric travelogues into the artist's psyche ("No Hidden Path"); searing, chaotic anthems including "Like a Hurricane" and "Cinammon Girl"; and rarely performed pieces like "Kansas" and "Ambulance Blues" that provide glimpses of Young's less public persona. Shot with a mix of video and film cameras, mostly handheld, NYTS presents the kinetic reality of a Neil Young performance in breathtakingly intimate fashion. Young and his band are captured with great immediacy, often in dramatically long takes that let the viewer experience Young opening up his heart song by song, and then blowing it all away in heated, uninhibited displays of rock and roll power. (Fortissimo Films)

The film follows two friends, Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, as they rise from rebellious Southern California kids to rock stars of the now legendary group that paved the way for future generations of girl bands. Joan and Cherie fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley, played by Michael Shannon, who turns the group into an outrageous success and a family of misfits. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself—and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock 'n' roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten. Written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, the film chronicles Joan and Cherie's tumultuous relationship on and off stage, as the band starts to break out. (Apparition)

Celine Dion, the international superstar and best-selling female artist of all time, has toured around the world and back again, and now, Sony Pictures Releasing's special programming division, The Hot Ticket, will let audiences follow her everywhere. For a limited engagement beginning early next year in wide release, Celine: Through the Eyes of the World will bring Celine Dion's 2008-2009 Taking Chances World Tour to theaters. This special motion picture event gives Dion fans who attended the extremely popular tour – which placed Dion second only to Madonna in ticket sales in 2008 – another chance to experience the magical event, this time from a vantage point unparalleled by any ticket. (Sony Pictures)

Still Bill is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers. With his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity, Withers has written the songs that have – and always will – resonate deeply within the fabric of our times. Filmmakers Damani Baker and Alex Vlack follow Withers and offer a unique and rare look inside the world of this fascinating man. Through concert footage, journeys to his birthplace, interviews with music legends, his family and closest friends, Still Bill presents the story of an artist who has written some of the most beloved songs in our time and who truly understands the heart and soul of a man. (B-Side Entertainment)

Soundtrack for a Revolution tells the story of the American civil rights movement through its powerful music -the freedom songs protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in paddy wagons, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. (Louverture Films)

Before you could say, "Alvinnnnn!!!" talks began about a new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. Not content to rest on their laurels, the 'Munks are preparing yet another "first": There have been many great movie sequels. There have even been prequels. Now, get ready for the world's first Squeakquel, in which Alvin, Simon and Theodore finally meet their match - and maybe more - in the newly arrived female trio, The Chipettes. (20th Century Fox)

Bad Blake is a broken-down, hard-living country music singer who's had way too many marriages, far too many years on the road and one too many drinks way too many times. And yet, Bad can’t help but reach for salvation with the help of Jean, a journalist who discovers the real man behind the musician. As he struggles down the road of redemption, Bad learns the hard way just how tough life can be on one man’s crazy heart. [Fox Searchlight]

Until The Light Takes Us tells the story of black metal. Part music scene and part cultural uprising, black metal rose to worldwide notoriety in the mid-nineties when a rash of suicides, murders, and church burnings accompanied the explosive artistic growth and output of a music scene that would forever redefine what heavy metal is and what it stands for to other musicians, artists and music fans worldwide. Until The Light Takes Us goes behind the highly sensationalized media reports of "Satanists running amok in Europe" to examine the complex and largely misunderstood principles and beliefs that led to this rebellion against both Christianity and modern culture. To capture this on film, directors Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell moved to Norway and lived with the musicians for several years, building relationships that allowed them to create a surprisingly intimate portrait of this violent, but ultimately misunderstood, movement. The result is a poignant, moving story that’s as much about the idea that reality is composed of whatever the most people believe, regardless of what’s actually true, as it is about a music scene that blazed a path of murder and arson across the northern sky. (Variance Film)

Broadcasting live 24/7 from an old tanker anchored in the middle of the North Sea (just beyond British jurisdiction), Radio Rock sends out a vibrant and unifying signal to millions across the nation, ranging in age from wide-eyed pre-teens secretly tuning in long past their bedtimes to everyday people in need of a musical pick-me-up. The Radio Rock roster, overseen by unflappable station owner (and ship’s captain) Quentin, includes a risk-prone American known only as The Count; mystic deejay royalty Gavin; slyly amorous Dave; idiosyncratic New Zealander Angus; the rarely seen Bob; the aptly named Thick Kevin; lovelorn Simon; ladies’ magnet Mark; shy Harold; reporter News John; and lesbian ship’s cook Felicity. One night in 1966, Quentin’s teenaged godson Carl comes aboard. While Carl harbors romantic aspirations that he hopes will be fulfilled during one of the biweekly visits by Radio Rock’s prettiest fans, he also hopes to find out more about his long-absent father. (Focus Features)

Michael Jackson's This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. (Sony Pictures)

A fashionable contemporary art gallerist in Chelsea, New York falls for a brooding new music composer in this comic take on the state of contemporary art. The composer's work calls for paper crumpling, glass breaking and bucket kicking. The gorgeous Chelsea gallerist's latest show features an artist, who employs taxidermy and household objects. Further complicating the affair is the composer's brother, whose highly commercial art work - the financial backbone of the gallery - is sold to corporate clients discreetly out of the gallery's back room. (Parker Film Company)

When hard times hit a small mining town, Power doesn't wish for riches; he only wishes that he'd learned to play drums. But his father could never afford to buy him a drum set, so Power has embraced the next best thing: air drumming. More than just a rock'n'roll comedy, Adventures of Power is an epic fable about the American Dream--about making something out of nothing, and trusting in your own heartbeat as a way of changing the world. (Variance Films)

In Search of Beethoven addresses the romantic myth that Beethoven was a heroic, tormented figure battling to overcome his tragic fate, struck down by deafness, who searched for his 'immortal beloved' but remained unmarried. It delves beyond the image of the tortured, cantankerous, unhinged personality, to reveal someone quite different and far more interesting. (Seventh Art Productions)

Working as an interior designer in Greenwich Village, Elliot feels empowered by the gay rights movement. But he is also still staked to the family business - a dumpy Catskills motel called the El Monaco that is being run into the ground by his overbearing parents, Jake and Sonia Teichberg. In the summer of 1969, Elliot has to move back upstate to the El Monaco in order to help save the motel from being taken over by the bank. Upon hearing that a planned music and arts festival has lost its permit from the neighboring town of Wallkill, NY, Elliot calls producer Michael Lang at Woodstock Ventures to offer his family's motel to the promoters and generate some much-needed business. Soon the Woodstock staff is moving into the El Monaco - and half a million people are on their way to Yasgur's farm for "3 days of Peace & Music in White Lake." (Focus Features)

Rarely can a film penetrate the glamorous surface of rock legends. It Might Get Loud tells the personal stories, in their own words, of three generations of electric guitar virtuosos – The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), and Jack White (The White Stripes). It reveals how each developed his unique sound and style of playing favorite instruments, guitars both found and invented. Concentrating on the artist’s musical rebellion, traveling with him to influential locations, provoking rare discussion as to how and why he writes and plays, this film lets you witness intimate moments and hear new music from each artist. The movie revolves around a day when Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge first met and sat down together to share their stories, teach and play. (Sony Classics)

When gifted singer-songwriter Charlotte Barnes asks new kid in town Will Burton to manage her fledgling rock band, she appears to have just one goal in mind: go head-to-head against her egotistical musician ex-boyfriend, Ben, at the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands. Against all odds, their band develops a sound all its own with a real shot at success in the contest. Meanwhile, romance brews between Will and Sa5m, who plays a mean guitar and has a voice to die for. When disaster strikes, it's time for the band to make a choice: Do they admit defeat, or face the music and stand up for what they believe in? (Summit Entertainment)

Gotta Dance chronicles the debut of the New Jersey Nets, first-ever, senior hip-hop dance team, 12 women and 1 man, all dance team newbies, from auditions through to center court stardom. As smooth dance moves are perfected and performed in front of thousands, aging myths and misperceptions are pulverized. (Mitropoulos Films)

You, the Living is a film about humankind, its greatness and its baseness, joy and sorrow, its self-confidence and anxiety, its desire to love and be loved. [Palisades Tartan]

In 1974, the most celebrated American R&B acts of the time came together with the most renowned musical groups in Africa for a 12-hour, three-night long concert held in Kinshasa, Zaire. The dream-child of Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine, this music festival became a reality when they convinced boxing promoter Don King to combine the event with “The Rumble in the Jungle,” the epic fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, previously chronicled in the Academy Award-winning documentary When We Were Kings. (Sony Classics)

After 30 years of Taliban and wartime rule, pop culture is creeping back into Afghanistan in the form of Afghan Star, an enormously popular American Idol–type contest. Filmmaker Havana Marking follows the dramatic stories of four of the contestants over three months, from regional auditions to the finals in Kabul, giving us a new, and more human, look at this troubled part of the world. (Zeitgeist Films)

Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love is a music-infused cinematic journey about the power of one man’s voice to inspire change. One of Time magazine’s100 most influential people in the world and called “the rare rock star whose music matters,” Senegalese singer Youssou Ndour is beloved internationally and at home. In 2005, the Grammy-winning artist defied expectations and produced his most personal album, Egypt, presenting his Islamic faith as a peaceable and tolerant religion. While the record received international acclaim, it was denounced as blasphemy in his native Senegal. Director Chai Vasarhelyi follows Ndour for over two years, filming in Africa, Europe, and America, to tell the story of how he faces these challenges and eventually wins over audiences both at home and abroad. (Shadow Distribution)

Departures follows Daigo Kobayashi, a devoted cellist in an orchestra that has just been dissolved and who is suddenly left without a job. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife to look for work and start over. He answers a classified ad entitled “Departures” thinking it is an advertisement for a travel agency only to discover that the job is actually for a "Nokanshi" or "encoffineer," a funeral professional who prepares deceased bodies for burial and entry into the next life. While his wife and others despise the job, Daigo takes a certain pride in his work and begins to perfect the art of “Nokanshi,” acting as a gentle gatekeeper between life and death, between the departed and the family of the departed. The film follows his profound and sometimes comical journey with death as he uncovers the wonder, joy and meaning of life and living. (Regent Releasing)

Dance Flick is a hilarious new comedy that brings together the talents of two generations of the Wayans family, the explosively funny clan who brought us the “Scary Movie” franchise and “White Chicks,” as well as the groundbreaking TV series “In Living Color.” In Dance Flick, a young street dancer, Thomas Uncles, from the wrong side of the tracks and a beautiful young woman, Megan White, are brought together by their passion for dancing and put to the test in the mother of all dance battles. (Paramount Pictures)

In The Soloist, an emotionally soaring drama about the redemptive power of music, journalist Steve Lopez discovers Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a former classical music prodigy, playing his violin on the streets of L.A. As Lopez endeavors to help the homeless man find his way back, a unique friendship is formed, one that transforms both their lives. (Paramount)

Throw Down Your Heart follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo and record an album. It’s a boundary-breaking musical adventure that celebrates the beauty and complexity of Africa – an Africa that is very different from what is often seen in the media today. (Argot Pictures)

Every Little Step explores the incredible journey of A Chorus Line from ambitious idea to international phenomenon. It compares and contrasts the original musical with the current revival. It investigates the societies in which they’ve debuted, and why the themes are so timeless and universal. Finally, it goes behind the scenes with exclusive interviews and footage of the revival’s audition process, revealing the dramatic journey of the performers, and unfolding a story of life imitating art. (Sony Pictures Classics)

At 14, Toronto school friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. They meant it. Their band, Anvil, went on to become the "demigods of Canadian metal," releasing one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982 Metal on Metal. The album influenced a musical generation, including Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, that went on to sell millions of records. But Anvil's career took a different path, straight into obscurity. (Abramorama Films)

Miley Stewart struggles to juggle school, friends and her secret pop-star persona; when Hannah Montana’s soaring popularity threatens to take over her life – she just might let it. So her father takes the teen home to Crowley Corners, Tenn., for a dose of reality, kicking off an adventure filled with the kind of fun, laughter and romance even Hannah Montana couldn't imagine! (Walt Disney Pictures)

The setting is Spring 1936 ; a working-class district in the north of Paris. In the center of town there is a small square, a few shops, lopsided buildings, cobbled streets and the peeling façade of the neighborhood music hall, the Chansonia. In this blue-collar neighborhood, the triumphant election of the Popular Front government is greeted with enthusiasm and hopes for a brighter tomorrow, yet stirs up all kinds of extremism. Among the new government's promises is a law guaranteeing paid holidays for workers. In early May, three residents of the Faubourg – Pigoil, Milou, and Jacky – still sulk over the closing of the Chansonia four months ago. Supported by the locals who live to the rhythm of Monsieur TSF's radio, the three friends decide to take hold of their destiny by producing the "hit" musical the Chansonia has always needed. (Sony Pictures)

The Jonas Brothers head to the big screen—in Disney Digital 3-D™—in a high-energy Walt Disney Pictures rockumentary feature film event from director Bruce Hendricks. The film blends excerpts from the Brothers’ red-hot “Burning Up” concert tour, including guest performances from Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, off-the-wall segments, a never-before-heard song, swarming fans and a lot of JB-style humor—giving fans never-before-seen insights into the lives of Kevin, Joe and Nick. (Disney)

In just a few short years, Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were universal and gave a voice to his generation. (Fox Searchlight)

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man is the new documentary feature about one of the most influential and enigmatic figures in rock history. Director Steven Kijak explores Walker's music and career, from his early days as a jobbing bass player on the Sunset Strip, to heartthrob mega-stardom in Britain’s swinging 60’s pop scene, and finally to his transformation into a composer of true genius; an uncompromising musician working at the peak of his powers who has hidden from fame. The filmmakers were granted unprecedented access to Scott and his musical process, the first time the famously reclusive artist has allowed this level of contact with a film crew in over 20 years. (Plexifilm)

In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950's Chicago, Cadillac Records follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry. (Sony Pictures)

The Dukes is the wry comic tale of a down-and-out Doo Wop band who take a bumbling detour into burglary in their endless quest to make good on their dreams. Featuring an accomplished ensemble cast and the directorial debut of beloved tough-guy actor Robert Davi, the film is a rollicking caper that is also deeply candid about life, love, friendship and the heart it takes to keep on struggling to find meaning and connection as life takes one absurd turn after another. For when these middle-aged buddies are forced to become mid-life bandits – and think they’ve hit on a sure-fire plan for the score of a lifetime -- it accidentally results in far greater pleasures than loot. (CAVU Pictures)

Louis and Floyd were a popular singing duo back in the day, but then they went their separate ways and never spoke again. When the death of their former group leader reunites them and sends them driving cross country for a tribute concert at the legendary Apollo Theatre, they will have only five days to bury the hatchet on a twenty-year-old grudge. (MGM)

Madonna's directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom, is a hilariously sexy tale of three roommates who must delve into mischievous and naughty behavior in pursuit of bigger and brighter futures. A Ukrainian immigrant, A.K., finances his dreams of 'trans-continental superstardom' with his band, Gogol Bordello, by turning tricks as a role-playing cross dresser. As A.K. literally whips the privileged of London into shape, he also secretly pines for the object of his affection, Holly, an aspiring ballerina looking for her big break while moonlighting as a slippery stripper. Meanwhile, Juliette steals medicine from her pharmaceutical job in hopes of quenching her dreams of helping Africa's youth. Filth and Wisdom is every bit as erotic and playful as it is poignant and touching, revealing the universal struggles we all face in our pursuits of happiness. (IFC Entertainment)

Eric lives for all things hockey. Now in his thirties, he's managed to turn his stint as an ex- Toronto Maple Leaf into a full-time gig as commentator for sports TV. He's living the dream! But when Eric's boyfriend Sam announces that they're to become temporary guardians of a young boy, Eric's comfortable world shatters. Enter Scot -- a recently orphaned, swishy 11-year-old sissy-of-a-boy -- and Eric's mirror opposite. Freaked out by Scot's 'joie de vivre,' Eric and Sam gently nudge Scot away from scented hand cream and all things pink, towards a more 'acceptable' pastime – hockey. But after Scot's disastrous first game, Eric begins to rethink the compromises he's made in his own life in order to be 'accepted.' (Regent Releasing)

Call + Response is a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world’s 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. Call + Response goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2007, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined. Luminaries on the issue and many other prominent political and cultural figures offer first hand account of this 21st century trade. Performances from Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists move this chilling information into inspiration for stopping it. Music is part of the movement against human slavery. Dr. Cornel West connects the music of the American slave fields to the popular music we listen to today, and offers this connection as a rallying cry for the modern abolitionist movement currently brewing. (Fair Trade Pictures)

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a comedy about two people thrust together for one hilarious, sleepless night of adventure in a world of mix tapes, late-night living, and live, loud music. Nick frequents New York's indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and a vague ability to play the bass. Norah is questioning pretty much all of her assumptions about the world. Though they have nothing in common except for their taste in music, their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band's secret show and ends up becoming the first date in a romance that could change both their lives. (Sony Pictures)

Hounddog is a Southern tale set in rural Alabama in the late 1950s. It follows a spirited young girl, Lewellen, and her struggle to rise above the repression that surrounds her. (Empire Film Group)

The Rocker, aka Robert "Fish" Fishman, was the drummer for an eighties hair band. He was living the rock 'n' roll dream... until he was kicked out of the group. Twenty years later, the desperate rocker joins his nephew's band, "A.D.D.," finally reclaiming the rock-god throne he's always thought he deserved -- while taking his much younger bandmates along for the ride of their lives. (20th Century Fox)

The film is a thorough investigation of the life and times of the great jazz vocalist, Anita O’Day. Filmmakers Robbie Cavolina and Ian McCrudden dedicated many years to capturing the engaging story of O’Day’s rise to fame: following her career from her youthful days singing alongside greats like Hoagy Carmichael, Gene Krupa, Stan Kenton, Louis Armstrong and Roy Eldridge to darker times in her life; drug addiction, multiple marriages, abortions, arrests and finally, the triumphant completion of her last album in 2006, shortly before her death at 87.

This captivating story captures the explosive and tumultuous life of Darby Crash, the seminal singer and songwriter of The Germs. Driven by drugs, music, and rebellion, The Germs became a vehicle that virtually launched punk rock in the United States. (Vision Films)

Beautiful Losers is a feature documentary film celebrating the independent and DIY spirit that unified a loose-knit group of American artists who emerged from the underground youth subcultures of skateboarding, graffiti, punk rock, and hip-hop. This documentary tells the story of how a group of outsiders with little or no formal training and almost no conception or interest of the inner workings of the art world ended up having an incredible impact on the worlds of art, fashion, music, film, and pop culture. (sidetrack Films)

When people ask her "How does it feel to be a rock icon?" Patti Smith says she "always thinks of Mount Rushmore." Steven Sebring's directorial debut takes a lyrical, stream-of-consciousness approach that is exactly right in his affecting portrait of the "rock-and-roll Joan of Arc." She can bring a crowd of devotees to its feet chanting "Glor-i-a!" as effectively as she can share her pain over the early death of her husband, Fred Smith, her brother, her close friend Robert Mapplethorpe, and other artists she admires. Everyone knows that Patti Smith's music, poetry, and politics are fearless, funny, raw, and original. But this film also captures her physical presence--her gamine beauty and charming, self-effacing style--that will take you by surprise and leave you deeply moved. (Palm Pictures)

Since their debut in the late 'sixties, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young have functioned as the "town criers" of their generation. Though fondly remembered for their harmonies and love songs, the band has never lost their political edge. "CSNY: Deja Vu" finds the band heading out on their "Freedom of Speech 2006" of North America, featuring music from Neil Young's controversial "Living With War" CD. The film also examines events surrounding the Tour in the crucial election season of 2006. Songs from the Tour are woven together with archival material, news footage, and audience reaction and observations, as the film examines the issues surrounding the integration of politics and art. (Roadside Attractions)

The wild 60s: Munich teen Uschi Obermaier drives men wild, but also confuses them with her assertive demeanor. When she moves into the legendary Berlin ‘Kommune 1’ she begins a relationship with the leader Rainer Langhans. There she runs through a whirlwind of relationships and rises to become a coveted supermodel and icon of the young generation. When she meets the charismatic adventurer Dieter Bockhorn, who controls Hamburg’s red-light district, they set off together in search of the summer of eternal love. But times are changing and their dropout idealism is short-lived as Dieter cannot come to terms with Uschi’s desire for independence. Uschi finds herself faced with an existential question: what is the price of freedom? (Uber Die Produktion)

From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter comes a probing look into the uncanny life of national treasure and gonzo journalism inventor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A fast-moving, wildly entertaining documentary with an iconic soundtrack, the film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson's life--his intense and ill-fated relationship with the Hells Angels, his near-successful bid for the office of sheriff in Aspen in 1970, the notorious story behind the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign, and much more. Narrated by Johnny Depp. (Magnolia Pictures)

A uniquely intimate portrait of the music icon, Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts explores the contemporary composer's creative process in opera, concert, and film, interwoven with candid scenes of his personal and spiritual life. In July 2005, filmmaker Scott Hicks started shooting a documentary about the composer Philip Glass to celebrate his 70th birthday in 2007. Over the next 18 months, he followed Glass across three continents, from his annual ride on the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster, to the world premiere of his new opera in Germany, to a performance with a didgeridoo virtuoso in Australia. Allowed unprecedented access to Glass' working process, family life, spiritual teachers, and longtime collaborators, including Martin Scorsese, Errol Morris, Chuck Close, Christopher Hampton, and others, Hicks gives audiences a remarkable mosaic portrait of one of the greatest--and at times controversial--artists of this or any era. (Koch Lorber Films)

In a world of 6 billion people, it takes only one to change your life. In actor and filmmaker Tom McCarthy's follow-up to his award-winning directorial debut "The Station Agent," we get to know Walter Vale, a disillusioned Connecticut economics professor whose life is transformed by a chance encounter in New York City. Through newfound connections with virtual strangers, Walter is awakened to a new world and a new life. (Overture Films)

Prepare to be entertained by the inspiring individuals of Young@Heart, a New England senior citizens' chorus that has delighted audiences worldwide with their covers of songs by everyone from The Clash to Coldplay. As Stephen Walker's documentary begins, the retirees, led by their strict musical director, are rehearsing their new show, struggling with a discordant Sonic Youth number and giving new meaning to James Brown's "I Feel Good." What ultimately emerges is a funny and unexpectedly moving testament to friendship, creative inspiration, and reaching beyond expectations. (Fox Searchlight)

Martin Scorsese's concert documentary Shine a Light will show the world the Rolling Stones as they've never been seen before. Filming at the famed Beacon Theatre in New York City in fall 2006, Scorsese assembled a legendary team of cinematographers to capture the raw energy of the legendary band. (Paramount)

Already a smash in its native Italy, My Brother is an Only Child, which was presented at this year's Cannes and Toronto film festivals, reunites director Daniele Luchetti with longtime collaborators Sandro Petraglia and Stefano Rulli, best known as screenwriters of the highly acclaimed The Best of Youth. Set in a small Italian town in the '60s and '70s, the film tells the story of two brothers who want to change the world--but in completely different ways. The elder, Manrico, is a handsome, charismatic firebrand who becomes the prime mover in the local Communist party. Accio, the younger, more rebellious brother, finds his own contrarian voice by joining the reactionary Fascists. What starts as a typical tale of sibling rivalry becomes a story of the polarizing and paralyzing politics of those turbulent times. The rift between the brothers is further intensified when Accio realizes that he loves his brother's girlfriend, Francesca, who like everyone else is blind to Manrico's increasingly dangerous ideas. (THINKFilm)

With compelling characters and vibrant dance sequences, Planet B-Boy is set in the international world of b-boying, the urban dance more commonly known as "break dancing." Weaving between the vivid backdrops of Osaka, Paris, Seoul, and Las Vegas, spectacular choreography frames the intimate stories of dancers who struggle for their dreams despite being misunderstood by their larger societies and their own families. An American dancer in Vegas looks for his big break; a Korean son seeks his father's approval; a 12-year-old boy in France confronts his family's racism. All of the b-boys' lives collide in Germany where their skills are put to the ultimate test: the "Battle of the Year" finals, with crews from 18 nations vying for the title of World Champion. (Elephant Eye Films)

Based on the book “La Question Humaine” by François Emmanuel, Heartbeat Detector unfolds a quietly riveting mystery of blackmail and intrigue, as the long-buried secrets of high-powered corporate executives threaten to bring them down.

Actor, performer, and multiplatinum rock icon Meat Loaf reveals surprising shades of himself--and a fertile, creative mind in constant flux--in this intimate and highly entertaining theatrical feature documentary. The time is early 2007, one of the most stressful in Meat Loaf's career. He's about to launch his most ambitious tour ever, an 18-month-long marathon to support "Bat Out of Hell III", the final album of the legendary "Bat" trilogy. The earlier "Bat" albums were two of the biggest sellers of all time, with combined sales of over 55 million, so a lackluster but respectable performance on this new tour just won't measure up. Meat Loaf's exhausting and often poignant journey takes him from grueling rehearsals in Burbank, California, to the Canadian portion of his tour. Along the way, an unexpected media controversy erupts over the staging of one of his songs--a controversy that raises questions about his art, his age, his relevance--and brings into focus the drive (and demons) that have fueled his over-the-top stage persona for almost 40 years. (Atlas Media Corp.)

At Rock 'n' Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from eight to 18 are taught that it's OK to sweat like a pig, scream like a banshee, whale on their instruments with complete and utter abandon, and that "it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are." The girls have a week to select a band, an instrument they may have never played before, and write a song. In between, they are taught by indie-rock chicks such as Carrie Brownstein from Sleater-Kinney various lessons of empowerment from self-defense to anger management. At the end of the week, all the bands perform a concert for more than 700 people. The film follows several campers: Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed by death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction, homelessness, and gang activity; and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi. What happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed, and pressured to conform is truly moving and revolutionary. (Shadow Distribution)

Antoinette is the Duchess of Langeais, a married coquette who frequents the most extravagant balls in 1820s Paris during the Restoration, when hypocrisy and vanity reign. From the moment of the handsome general Armand de Montriveau's first meeting with her, he realized it was true love. Flattered by his attentions, the alluring Antoinette orchestrates a calculating game of seduction, but she repeatedly refuses Montriveau. Despite his sincere romantic declarations, Montriveau's passion remains unfulfilled. When the humiliated Montriveau eventually seeks his revenge, Antoinette's love awakens. But it may well be too late for the star-crossed lovers. (IFC Films)

Step Up 2 the Streets is the follow-up to the smash hit Step Up, which ignited theaters in August 2006. When rebellious street dancer Andie lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the school's hottest dancer, Chase, to form a crew of classmate outcasts to compete in Baltimore's underground dance battle "The Streets," she ultimately finds a way to live her dream while building a bridge between her two separate worlds. (Touchstone Pictures)

The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrives in Israel to play at the opening of an Arab Cultural Center. Dressed in full regalia and observing all military police protocol, the members of the orchestra are at a pivotal time in their careers. It’s not just the political nature of an Arab military police band playing traditional Arab music in Israel that makes this event so important; budget cuts and many reorganizations have threatened the continued existence of the Orchestra. Faced with the heavy burden of this assignment, the stoic conductor Tewfiq is determined not to foul their excursion. Despite all Tewfiqs efforts, it’s not long before problems arise. The band arrives at the airport with no one there to greet them. Stranded and unable able to contact their Israeli hosts or the Egyptian consulate for help, Tewfiq decides that the Orchestra will persevere with its assignment and orders, and designates Khaled, a sauve young ladies man, to ask for directions. Khaled and the station agent struggle in English, Arabic and Hebrew to communicate, but despite their best efforts, the Orchestra is sent to the outskirts of a small forgotten Israeli town in the desert. (Sony Classics)

Hannah Montana fans everywhere will have a chance to see their favorite singer, songwriter and actress, Miley Cyrus, perform her sold-out concert tour on the big screen in Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert. Shot during Cyrus's 54-city tour and exhibited in state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3D™, the film will be coming to theaters for a special one week engagement. (Walt Disney)

U2 3D transforms a series of live concerts by one of the world's most acclaimed bands into a completely new entertainment experience that takes viewers on an extraordinary cinematic journey, a quantum leap beyond traditional concert films and traditional 3-D. U2 3D captivated an international audience as a work-in-progress during the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. (National Geographic Cinema Ventures)

It's 1950, and it's a make-or-break weekend for Tyrone Purvis (Danny Glover), the proprietor of the Honeydripper Lounge. Deep in debt, Tyrone is desperate to bring back the crowds that used to come to his place. He decides to lay off his longtime blues singer Bertha Mae and announces that he has hired a famous guitar player, Guitar Sam, for a one-night-only gig in order to save the club. Into town drifts Sonny Blake, a young man with nothing to his name but big dreams and the guitar case in his hand. Rejected by Tyrone when he applies to play at the Honeydripper, he is intercepted by the corrupt local sheriff, arrested for vagrancy, and rented out as an unpaid cotton picker to the highest bidder. But when Tyrone's ace-in-the-hole fails to materialize at the train station, his desperation leads him back to Sonny and the strange, wire-dangling object in his guitar case. The Honeydripper Lounge is all set to play its part in rock and roll history. (Emerging Pictures)

America loves Cox! But behind the singer/songwriter's music is the up-and-down-and-up-again story of a musician whose songs would change a nation. On his rock-and-roll spiral, Cox sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 stepkids, stars in his own '70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp, and gets addicted to--and then kicks--every drug known to humankind...but despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon. (Sony Pictures)

Alvin and the Chipmunks, a global phenomenon to generations of fans, becomes a live action/CGI motion picture event with a contemporary comic sensibility. Songwriter Dave Seville transforms singing chipmunks Alvin, Simon, and Theodore into pop sensations while the out-of-control trio lays waste to Dave's home, wreaks havoc with his career, and turns his once-orderly life upside down. (20th Century Fox)

Mamo, the old renowned Kurdish musician, has begun a journey to Iraq to perform a music concert after the fall of Saddam Hussein. The Old of the village has predicted that Mamo should not go on the trip because as the full moon comes, something awful will happen to him. Mamo persists on continuing his journey because it's the first time he's been allowed to work in many years. (Miji Film)

A charismatic young Irish guitarist and a sheltered young cellist have a chance encounter one magical night above New York's Washington Square, but are soon torn apart, leaving in their wake an infant, orphaned by circumstance. Years later, performing on the streets of New York and cared for by a mysterious stranger who gives him the name August Rush, the child uses his remarkable musical talent to seek the parents from whom he was separated at birth. (Warner Bros.)

I'm Not There is a film that dramatizes the life and music of Bob Dylan as a series of shifting personae, each performed by a different actor—poet, prophet, outlaw, fake, star of electricity, rock and roll, martyr born-again Christian—seven identities braided together, seven organs pumping through one life story, as dense and vibrant as the era it inspired. (The Weinstein Company)

Set in northern Uganda, a country ravaged by more than two decades of civil war, War/Dance tells the story of Dominic, Rose, and Nancy, three children whose families have been torn apart, their homes destroyed, and who currently reside in a displaced persons' camp in Patongo. When they are invited to compete in an annual music and dance festival, their historic journey to their nation's capital is also an opportunity to regain a part of their childhood and to taste victory for the first time in their lives. (ThinkFilm)

The prophetic free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler, who today is seen as one of the most important innovators in jazz, was obsessed with his radical music and by the thought that people one day would understand it. In 1962 he recorded his first album in Sweden. Eight years later he was found dead in New York’s East River, aged 34. My Name Is Albert Ayler follows the trail of Albert from his native Cleveland by way of Sweden to New York, meeting family, friends, and close colleagues.

Richard Pimentel enlists in the Army for a tour of duty in Vietnam. During combat, the young recruit loses his hearing to a bomb blast, and has to deal with this newfound disability on his return to civilian life in Oregon. Richard discovers that his disability and the struggle to transcend it is a defining moment in his fight for what he believes in. When he tries to help his friends--vets like himself and others with disabilities--to get work in an environment that treats them with pity at best and disdain as a matter of course, he realizes that he can make a difference. Together, the friends experience the currents of those turbulent times, and the wild, joyful energy of winning through confrontation and humor. Without his hearing Richard is all the more prepared to listen to the message deep within himself, and to carry that message to the thousands of people whose lives are improved by the movement he helps organize. (MGM)

Ian Curtis has aspirations beyond the trappings of small-town life in 1970s England. Wanting to emulate his musical heroes, such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop, he joins a band, and his musical ambition begins to thrive. Soon, though, the everyday fears and emotions that fuel his music slowly begin to eat away at him. Married young, with a daughter, he is distracted from his family commitments by a new love and the growing expectations of his band, Joy Division. The strain manifests itself in his health. With epilepsy adding to his guilt and depression, desperation takes hold. Surrendering to the weight on his shoulders, Ian's tortured soul consumes him. (The Weinstein Company)

After a run-in with local thugs, aspiring Harlem rapper Rob flees to a place and father he never knew, and finds his salvation in Reggaeton, a spicy blend of hip-hop, reggae and Latin beats. Puerto Rico, the spiritual home of Reggaeton, inspires Rob and his half-brother Javi to pursue their dream of becoming Reggaeton stars. Together with a dancer named C.C., they learn what it means to stay true to themselves and each other, while overcoming obstacles in love, greed and pride, all culminating in an explosive performance at New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade. (Sony Pictures)

An intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain, based on more than 25 hours of previously unheard audiotaped interviews conducted with Cobain by noted music journalist Michael Azerrad for his book "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana." In the film, Kurt Cobain recounts his own life - from his childhood and adolescence to his days of musical discovery and later dealings with explosive fame - and offers often piercing insights into his life, music, and times. The conversations heard in the film have never before been made public and they reveal a highly personal portrait of an artist much discussed but not particularly well understood. (Sidetrack Films)

Pete Seeger was the architect of the folk revival, writing some of its best known songs including "Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” "Turn, Turn, Turn” and "If I Had A Hammer." Largely misunderstood by his critics, including the US government, for his views on peace, unionism, civil rights and ecology, Seeger was targeted by the communist witch hunt of the Fifties. He was picketed, protested, blacklisted, and, in spite of his enormous popularity, banned from American television for more than 17 years. With a combination of never-before-seen archival footage and personal films made by Seeger and his wife, Pete Seeger: The Power of Song chronicles the life of this legendary artist and political activist. (Jim Brown Productions)