The 78 Project Movie
The 78 Project Movie is now available on DVD and online!
The 78 Project Movie continues to screen in theaters around the world. To celebrate the launch of The 78 Project Movie in theaters nationwide, The 78 Project creators took the film on a road trip (much like the way we shot it!), appearing live at screening events around the country. The film has by now screened in over 70 cities in the U.S. and abroad, and you can stay updated on our theatrical screenings by regularly checking our Sidebar.
“The 78 Project grabs American music by the roots.” USA Today
“A one-of-a-kind documentary that is part road movie,
part concert film, and part journey through the past.”
The Commercial Appeal Memphis
“For fans of pure recording and its history, it’s compelling and informative.”
Billboard SXSW: The Fest’s Top Films
“Rises above simple vintage worship and does more than just glorify
the past – it helps us experience it.” The Village Voice
“The ineffable romance of old recordings makes for magic…ripe with wonder.”
– The Austin Chronicle
Director, Editor, Camera
Alex Steyermark
Producers
Lavinia Jones Wright & Alex Steyermark
Presto Recordist
Lavinia Jones Wright
The 78 Project is on a journey across America to make one-of-a-kind 78rpm records with musicians in their hometowns using a 1930s Presto direct-to-disc recorder. With one microphone. With one blank disc. In one 3-minute take. Along the way, a kaleidoscope of technologists, historians and craftsmen from every facet of field recording – Grammy-winning producers, 78 collectors, curators from the Library of Congress and Smithsonian – provide insights and history. In Tennessee, Mississippi, California, Louisiana, the folk singers, punk rockers, Gospel and Cajun singers in the film share their lives through intimate performances, and find in that adventure a new connection to our cultural legacy.
With musical performances by:
The Reverend John Wilkins (Como, MS), Louis Michot, Corey Ledet & Ashlee Michot (Arnaudville, LA), Victoria Williams (Los Angeles, CA), John Doe (Fairfax, CA), Dawn Landes (Brooklyn, NY), Holly Williams w/ Chris Coleman (Nashville, TN), John Reilly & Tom Brosseau (Pasadena, CA), Gaby Moreno & Adam Levy (Los Angeles, CA), Jaron Lanier (Berkeley, CA), Ella Mae Bowen (Franklin, TN), Dylan LeBlanc (Franklin, TN), Coati Mundi (Murrieta, CA), The Bo-Keys w/ Percy Wiggins (Memphis, TN), John Paul Keith (Memphis, TN), Ben Vaughn (Wonder Valley, CA), Sea of Bees (Sacramento, CA), The Easy Leaves (Santa Rosa, CA) and Little Wings (Topanga Canyon, CA)
And featuring:
Todd Harvey (Library of Congress, Washington, DC), Jeff Place (Smithsonian, Washington, DC), Matt Barton, Brad McCoy (Library of Congress, Culpeper, VA), Richard Matthews (Leeds Radio, Brooklyn, NY), Wayne Cory (Apollo Masters, Banning, CA), Joe Bussard (Frederick, MD), Bob Saliba (Randolph, NJ) and Alan Graves (Port Tobacco, MD)
Don’t see a screening of The 78 Project Movie near you?
Community is at the heart of The 78 Project Movie, and we’re happy to work with you to help bring the film to a theatre or venue near you. Take a look at our Sidebar to see if there’s already a nearby screening or special event planned. If not, please write to us at: contact@the78project.com We want you to be able to see the movie too!
Are you a university, archive or museum?
We’ll be happy to work with you to set up a screening of The 78 Project Movie or a guest lecture event. Write to us at: contact@the78project.com
Watch the trailer for The 78 Project Movie:
Read stories from our road trips, including our journey to make The 78 Project Movie in The 78 Project On the Road.
Soundtrack album to The 78 Project Movie now available!
Like the music you’ve heard in The 78 Project Movie?
You can now order the soundtrack album in vinyl & digital in our online store:
The 78 Project Movie was crowdfunded through Kickstarter
THANK YOU
Our deepest appreciation goes to the generous folks who have backed The 78 Project movie. Your help has made wonderful things possible!
Able Strangers LLC, Adam Arcuragi & Brienne Rose, Adam Hohenberg, Alison and Andy Duback, Allison Craig, Allison Scagliotti, Amy Briamonte, An Admirer of Protectors of the Old Ways, Andrew Gray, Annie Cappell, Archer Records, Music+Arts Studio, Ayo Awosika, Barbara Solem, Barbara Spector, Ben Goldberg, Ben Simon, Beth Medoway Kagan, Biliana & Marina Grozdanova, Blind Willie McTell, Bradshaw Family, Brian Dixon, Brian Keith LaPrade In Memory of Douglas LaPrade, Brian Sendrowitz, Bryan McConachie, Buck Curran and Shanti Curran, The Cain Family. Mt. Ephraim NJ, Carlos and Lua, Chie Kuroiwa, Chris + Jennifer Daltry, Chris Jones, Chris Newell, Christal Cody, The Rev. Christopher Laughlin, Chris, Charmayne & Riley, Cindi Ettinger, Clark Dimond, Coati Mundi Hernandez, D. Miller, Dan Rowan, Daniel Littlewood, Dave Millard, David B. Dorwart, David Barnaby, David Hamma, David Kain, David Rosenthal (In Memory of Benjamin A. Botkin), Dave Sica of InfoAge.org, David Gale, Deenie Hartzog, Diana Post, Dirk Blanchart, Don Fleming, Dust & Grooves, Earl Rose, to Eileen McMullan Grady, Eliza and Andrew Jones, Elizabeth Freund, Elyse Realey, Emil Friis, Eric Dyson, Eric W Goff, Eric Wayne Norlander, Erik Philbrook, Erik Winquist, Esmé Wright, Etan and Megan Rosenbloom, In memory of Eve Geissinger, Farm to Ladle, Fiddes Smith, Fil Krohnengold, Gary Kolb and Georgia Wessel, Gregory Ragucci, Gus is a rocker, Hygienic Art, INSTRUMENTAL music webzine, J L Molloy, Jacob Blickenstaff, James Rickman, Jamie Campbell, Jared Varava, Jason Fitzpatrick, Jason “The Sultan” Lethcoe, Jason S. Matuskiewicz, Jason Silberman, Jay Yu, Jennifer Field, Jenny Sturrock, Jeremy Bridges, Jessica Stewart, Jim Hoffman, Jim Muir, Joan Wadleigh Curran, Jo Ann Wright, Joan & George, Joe and Caren Lee Brenman, Joe McGinty, Joel Plutchak & Family, John Bilderback, John Vettese, Johnny Isaacs (with thanks to Gene Warner), Jon Burr, Jon R. Smith, Jonathan Cohen, Jonny Trouble Butt Berger, Jools Henn, Joseph Wright, Josh Hunt (Lawrence, KS), Josh Rifkind, Joshua Stone, Julie McEntee Miller, Justin William Craig, Kallistas, Kara Suzanne, Karl Jones, Kate Vandegrift, Kathy Muir, Kelly Booth, Ken Baldwin, Kerri Mahoney-Bomar, Kevin Winter, Kim Stewart, Kyle C, Laura Marmar, Lara Iden, Laurie Thomas, Lawrence and Susan Wolk, LBT/Animosity, Lisa Serman, Linda and Paul Champanier, Lindsay Giles McWilliams!, MJB, Maggie Clark and Dave Parker, Margaret Craig, Maris Jones, Mark Charles Heidinger, Mark Crawford (Unreasonable Media), Mark Schoneveld, Marlene Carle Schweidel, Martin Czembor, Matthew D. Williams, Melissa Toldy, Meredith DiMenna, Micki Poklar, Missy Cohen, Morbs, Music enriches our lives., namyisun, Neil Wright, New London Music Festival, Nick Kuskin, Nick Stern, Norman Primrose, Olga Wilhelmine, Opiyo Okeyo of RestInBeats.com, Pat Gubler, Pat Irwin, Patrick Damphier, Patrick Derivaz, Patrick Van Hautem, Paul Steyermark, The People’s Art, Peter Brensinger, Peter c. Kirwan, Jr., Peter Hershberg, Peter Jason Riley CPA, Peter “pw!” Wonsowski, Robert McKibbin, Roberta Reitz, Rod Sherwood, Rolf Mach, Rune Vendler, Ryan Hawkins, Sam Edwards, Sarah Knowles, Scott Troyan, Sexy Lexy, Sloan and Steven Ettinger, Solar Greens Company, Sonia Gonzalez-Martinez, Staci Strauss, Stephanie Skaff, Steve Flom, Sulondia “Sue-Ham” Hammond, Susan Dolan, Susan Griggs Photography (Chesterfield, SC), Susan Wright, thatch, Tadd Igarashi, Tampa Enoch-Reese, Thomas Callahan, Thomas D. Keiser, Tiago Pantaleao, Tobias Fiebiger, Todd Goldstein, Todd Schwartz, Tom Clapham, Tom Beck, Tom Hyde, Tommy Tillo, Tony & Kay, Tony Fletcher, Tom McWilliams, Wei-Hsin Yang, Wende Martin & Meriwether Nichols, Willie Breeding, Yellow Dog Records, In recognition of all enthusiasts of American traditional music, Thank you 78 Project! – Pat Irwin, Best wishes, continued success and keep those platters spinning. – Jonny Trouble Butt Berger, Thanks mom and dad, my love of music came from you both. – Roberta Reitz, In memory of my father, Tom DeSavia, Sr., who gave me my first cherished records when I was 6 years old – a box of 78s, To my sister, Amy Marbach & The Merry Janes.
The 78 Project Movie received funding from New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature
The 78 Project is a sponsored project of IFP (www.IFP.org)