Black February

Big News

Vipal Monga — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:14:56 +0000

We’re very excited to announce the Black February has just signed a distribution agreement with Collective Eye, an educational distribution company based in Portland, Oregon.

Black February will be coming to universities, colleges, arts and music programs near you soon! More details in a few days, but we wanted to get this exciting news out.

New Filmmakers Interview

Vipal Monga — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:46:58 +0000

Here’s me talking about the film in a video produced by the New Filmmakers organizers.

Halifax Jazz Festival

Vipal Monga — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:20:11 +0000

More good news, fresh off our NYC premiere at the Anthology Film Archives (pictures coming soon): Black February will be screening at the Halifax Jazz Festival in July! Our Canadian premiere. We’ll have details about the screening schedule soon, but we’re already looking forward to it. Haligonians, see you there!

JazzTimes Critics Poll

Vipal Monga — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 02:17:21 +0000

BLACK FEBRUARY was chosen as one of the critics picks in the JazzTimes best of 2011 critics’ poll. Thanks to Bill Meredith for choosing us as one of his picks for best Film/Video/TV Series of the year.

JazzTimes

Anthology Film Archives

Vipal Monga — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:01:17 +0000

THE NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE OF
BLACK FEBRUARY
A MUSIC DOCUMENTARY BY VIPAL MONGA
FEATURING
LAWRENCE D.“BUTCH” MORRIS

APRIL 2, 2012 8:00 PM
The Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue New York, NY 10003
(212) 505-5181.

New York, NY – BLACK FEBRUARY, a film about an unprecedented series of concerts performed by legendary jazz composer and conductor Lawrence D. “Butch” Morris, will have its New York City premiere at the Anthology Film Archives on April 2, 2012.

BLACK FEBRUARY, the first documentary feature by director Vipal Monga, chronicles a series of 44 performances in 28 days with 85 musicians, performed by Mr. Morris in 2005 to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Conduction®, his revolutionary technique for live music-making.

More than a simple portrait of those 28 days, or a biography of an enigmatic and complex legend of the avant-garde, BLACK FEBRUARY is a film about the creative process and the scope of a musical theory that is redefining what it means to make music.

Along with footage from these remarkable concerts that span a full range of musical styles from big band jazz to funk, the documentary features interviews with some of the leading lights of the New York creative-music community, including Henry Threadgill, JD Allen, Brandon Ross, Graham Haynes, Howard Mandel and Greg Tate.

The April 2 screening represents a homecoming for the film, which has already screened across the U.S. and internationally. Tickets will be available at the Anthology Film Archives box office beginning at 5:30 pm on April 2. No advance tickets will be available. Tickets are $9 for the general public. The screening will be held at the Maya Deren Theater. Seating is limited, so please arrive early.

The screening is part of the New Filmmakers Series, which has been showing provocative and innovative work by upcoming filmmakers since 1998.

For more information:
www.blackfeb.com

New Filmmakers

Vipal Monga — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 02:30:56 +0000

We’re very pleased to announce that Black February will be having its New York premiere at the Anthology Film Archives‘ Deren Theatre. The film will be showing on April 2 at 8 pm. It’s a very special hometown screening for the film, and we’d love to see you there!

Happy Birthday Butch

Vipal Monga — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:19:58 +0000

Today is Butch’s birthday. In his honor, here is some film from 1978 of him playing cornet. The clip begins about 1:00 minute in.

Butch Morris on the BBC

Vipal Monga — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:32:08 +0000

Here’s a link to a new video about Butch by the BBC. Butch is playing at Lucky Cheng in New York’s East Village with a fabulous new group:

BBC News: The music man with no written plan

Earshot Jazz Film Festival in Seattle

Vipal Monga — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:25:51 +0000

We’re very happy to announce that Black February will be screening at the Earshot Jazz Film Festival series at the Northwest Film Forum in Seattle. There will be two screenings on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm. Tell your friends and relatives and go yourself if you live there!

Sheffield Videotheque

Vipal Monga — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:41:40 +0000

Black February has been selected as one of the films to be included in the Sheffield Doc/Fest Videotheque. Doc/Fest curated the selection, and will be featuring our film for viewing at the festival, which runs between June 8 and 12. TV buyers, distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, other decision makers and Doc/Fest delegates will be able to watch the doc on demand, so if you’re going to the festival, look us up and check out our work of love.