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Why work with Doc'n Roll?

Music documentaries are our specialty, mission and passion. International festival programmers (Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, TIFF, DOC NYC, CPH DOX, DocFest, et al) music film commissioning editors (ARTE, BBC, SKY, et al) VOD platform curators (CODA, Prime, YouTube, Mubi, Fandango, et al) and music venue bookers are our BFFs.

In 2017 we developed a boutique UK event cinema, world sales and strategic consultancy division dedicated to maximising audience and exposure for an annual slate of five carefully selected music documentaries that platform and champion unique, under-the-radar and marginal voices in music.

We handle worldwide licensing across all platforms, and support both established and emerging filmmakers. We work on a handful of early-stage films and evaluate projects at all stages, from development to completion, occasionally as Executive Producers.

We are hands-on, agile, creative and transparent. We focus on nurturing long-term partnerships and working closely with filmmakers and producers to develop tailor-made marketing and distribution strategies for every project we work with, throughout the entire film lifecycle.

If you're a filmmaker with a great film, or a cinema/music venue/VoD booker seeking hot alt content, HMU: Colm Forde, Head of Programming, Acquisitions & Distribution, Doc'n Roll.

Check out our current slate of great docs below.

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Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.

Dir. Philipp Reichenheim, Germany/U.S.A, 2021, 82 mins

UK/IRELAND CINEMA RELEASE - 1 OCTOBER 2021

GERMANY CINEMA RELEASE - SEPTEMBER 2021

Available Rights: Global SVOD, Worldwide (ex UK, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Austria) - TV/VoD/Theatrical - Booking Enquiries

FEATURING: J Mascis, Lou Barlow & Murph of Dino Jr, Kim Gordon ( Sonic Youth), Henry Rollins (Black Flag), Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), and many others.

FREAKSCENE THE STORY OF DINOSAUR JR. is a feature documentary homage to one of the most influential bands on the American East Coast, which greatly inspired the burgeoning alternative rock scene - including Nirvana and Sonic Youth - in the 1990s. Their unique style and unmistakable sound, later referred to as "Grunge", laid the foundation for the entire "Slacker" culture of Generation X. It's also the story of the eloquent and eccentric guitarist and bandleader J. Mascis, the bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph and a band that funnily does not talk to each other. Communication takes place exclusively through music. Director Philipp Reichenheim nevertheless skillfully encourages the three introverted and shy icons to shoot the breeze and unpack their fascinating story. The film offers exclusive rare insights into the crazy everyday life of the band across three decades, and illuminates the inner workings of a cult band from its embryonic beginnings in the 1980s and 90s to the present day subculture icons.

File next to: Nirvana, 90's Subculture, Slacker culture, Gen X, Sub-Pop, Pixies, Iggy Pop, Pearl Jam,
Sonic Youth, Mogwai, The Breeders, Melvins, Jesus & Mary Chain.

A SYMPHONY OF NOISE - MATTHEW HERBERT

UK CINEMA RELEASE: FROM 4 NOV 2021

Dir. Enrique Sánchez Lansch, 2021, Germany, 93 min

UK/Ireland Teatrical & Non-Theatrical - Booking Enquiries | Trailer

SYMPHONY OF NOISE takes the viewer on a journey with Matthew Herbert, the revolutionary British musician and composer. Into the mind of the artist known for his political pieces, combining music derived from real life sounds with politically sensitive issues. Herbert’s premise is that music has undergone a revolution. Instead of making music with instruments, we can now use anything that makes a sound. The film captures creativity at its core. After watching A SYMPHONY OF NOISE we will listen to music, but also to the world, in a way we have never done before.

Don't Go Gentle: A film about IDLES

Dir. Mark Archer, 2021, UK, 75 mins

UK CINEMA RELEASE - 2 JULY 2021

WORLDWIDE STREAMING - 6 AUGUST 2021

UK & Europe - TV/VoD/Theatrical - Booking Enquiries | Trailer

DON’T GO GENTLE is a film about finding strength in vulnerability. It journeys through determination, friendship and adversity of IDLES as they fight for a place in a divided socio-political environment, unexpectedly inspiring and unifying an international community along the way. In a time when the ground is shifting beneath our feet, where open communication and truthful reflection are more vital than ever, we journey with lead singer Joe Talbot and the band as they tear across stages, knock down stereotypes and empower fans to face down uncomfortable realities and talk about mental health.

The Rest Is History: The Early Days of Jungle & Drum 'n Bass

Dir. Peter Costigan, 2019, Canada, 111 min

Booking Enquiries | Trailer

From the days of illegal raves to the dark club sounds of Optical and Ed Rush, The Rest Is History is a look back at the early years of Jungle and Drum & Bass music, how it developed, and the culture that surrounded it. With interviews from some of the original pioneers (Micky Finn, Ray Keith, Dillinja, Ragga Twins, Paul Ibiza, G.Q,) the viewers get an intimate look into the creation of this beloved underground art form and its continued legacy like never before.

File next to - Fans of 1990's Rave counterculture, Dub-Step, Goldie, Jungle, Bass & Soundsystem culture

David Crosby: Remember My Name

Dir. A.J. Eaton, 2019, UK USA, 95 mins

UK Only - Booking Enquiries | Trailer

A triumph at Sundance, this inspired collaboration between director A.J. Eaton and producer Cameron Crowe coaxes Crosby into unflinching candor as the singer-songwriter confronts mortality and assesses the damage of earlier days. At the same time, his redemptive journey back to music is universally inspiring and uplifting, bearing an emotional impact that transcends the rock documentary genre. As a troubled talent but uncompromising and principled spirit whose voice has been harmoniously woven into the fabric of pop culture and music royalty since the mid-1960s (first with the Byrds but most famously as a founding member of the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), Crosby finally distinguishes himself as a masterful raconteur and unsparingly self-aware survivor. Taking viewers through soaring career highs, along with the chemical variety that led to ravaging addictions and serious prison time, this film explodes myths and sheds profound new light on all the music, politics, and personalities that crossed his incredible — and ongoing — path. Only Crowe and Eaton could have composed a cinematic portrait so intimate and unforgettable.

File next to - Fans of 1960's counterculture, Folk Rock, The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Crosby Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell

Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records

Dir. Nicolas Jack Davies, 2018, UK, 85 min

Booking Enquiries | Trailer

Rudeboy chronicles the love affair between Jamaican and British youth culture through the prism of Trojan Records, one of the most iconic labels in the history of black music. Combining compelling dramatisations of key chapters in the story with archive and interview footage, it tells the story of the label, placing it at the heart of a cultural revolution that unfolded on the council estates and dancefloors of late 60s and early 70s Britain, immigration and innovation transforming popular music and culture. The film's cast of legendary artists, including Lee “Scratch” Perry, Toots Hibbert, Ken Boothe, Neville Staple, Marcia Griffiths, Dave Barker, Dandy Livingstone, Lloyd Coxsone, Pauline Black, Derrick Morgan and more, bring the sounds, stars and stories to life. When Rudeboy won Doc'n Roll's Best Music Documentary honours in 2018, jury member Geoff Travis, founder of Rough Trade Records remarked that the film "was an education and also a history lesson for me, but most of all it is just a really vibrant movie. It makes you really realise why you love music in the first place."

File next to - Fans of 60s and 70s counterculture, Jamaican sound, Ska, Rock Steady, Reggae, Lee "Scratch" Perry