Days after both the Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival sold out again this summer, newportFILM will screen a documentary about the folk festival’s most consequential years.
“Newport & the Great Folk Dream” plays Thursday, Aug. 13, at Miantonomi Memorial Park, 120 Hillside Ave. The venue opens at 5 p.m., with live music from Randy Robbins at 6:20 p.m., a pre-film conversation at 7:30 p.m. and the 99-minute film at 8 p.m. A $10 donation per adult is suggested; each donation earns a raffle ticket for a $100 Newport Restaurant Group gift card.
Director Robert Gordon will take part in the pre-film conversation, moderated by Rolling Stone’s David Browne.
The film covers the festival from 1963 to 1966 — the stretch that gave the protest song a national forum and saw Bob Dylan turn from political balladeer to electric rock musician. It draws entirely on rare and previously unseen archival footage, and is told through the people who were there, among them Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and the Freedom Singers. Alongside the marquee names, the film moves through Gullah Island gospel, delta blues and Cape Breton milling songs. Variety described it as a broad, exquisitely chosen swath of the music.
Gordon directed. Joe Lauro, Gordon and Laura Jean Hocking produced.
Food vendors include Ben & Jerry’s, Boru, Ja Patty, Newport Sushi Co. and Wiener Wagon. Bike racks and composting are available on-site, and attendees are encouraged to bring picnics, chairs and blankets. Parking on site is limited. Captioning and live translation are provided.
The rain venue is Rogers High School, 15 Wickham Rd. newportFILM notes that indoor backup venues have far less capacity than the outdoor sites, that seating is first come, first served, and that an RSVP does not guarantee a seat — the organization recommends arriving at least 30 minutes before showtime.
Two screenings remain after next week:
- Thursday, Aug. 20 — “Give Me the Ball!” at Rosecliff. Live music by Lainey Dionne at 6:15 p.m., film at 7:50 p.m.
- Thursday, Aug. 27 — “Mighty Mary” at Fort Adams. Live music by Dan Burke at 6 p.m., film at 7:40 p.m.
More information is at newportfilm.com.
