Melbourne Documentary Film Festival - Goodnight Brooklyn - The Story of Death By Audio
Logline: Death By Audio, an underground venue, is forced to close in 2014. The film focuses on the struggles of maintaining a community in the face of Brooklyn property development, hostile construction workers and a one billion-dollar company.
Length: 82 min
Director: Matthew Conboy
Producer: Amanda Schultz
About the writer, director and producer:
Director: Matthew Conboy is a filmmaker and co-founder of Death By Audio. This is his first feature film.
Producer: Amanda Schultz is a Producer with 10+ years of experience in production projects ranging from broadcast to interactive. This is her first feature film as a Producer.
Key cast: Edan Wilber, Oliver Ackermann, Ty Segall, Dan Deacon, Kyp Malone, Jason Amos, George Wilson, Becky James, Greg Saunier
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): We're currently working through our distribution and always welcome journalists to see the film.
Funders: Self-funded with friends and family
Made in association with: Plus Productions
Release date: 2016
Where can I watch it at the film festival or in the next month?
June: 18th at the Oak Cliff Film Festival
July: 3rd at the CayFilm and July 9th in Brooklyn
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I helped to start the venue at Death By Audio and have been involved with the community since 2005. When we found out we were being forced to leave our Producer Amanda suggested we start making a film about it.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film gives an audience a rare chance to peek inside a creative community of artists and musicians in Brooklyn New York. If you have experience with urban development, gentrification, creative subcultures or a love of the creative spirit you might find a deep connection to the film.
It also features performances from some of the best artists in underground music in the USA, so if you like Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, Future Islands, Deerhoof, Dan Deacon and more you'll have a great time.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think this is obviously a very personal film, but I think it's also very very specific, and that specificity hopefully allows people to feel a connection with the story and characters.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
It's a documentary, so we only had a loose idea of how the story might turn out.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been spectacular so far. Audiences all over the country and the US seem to really enjoy the film and it seems to spark conversations about shared community space being lost to gentrification.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I've been constantly surprised and excited that people are responding the film. But it hasn't changed my outlook or point of view.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm just grateful that audiences and press are interested in the film. Any help getting people to see it is amazing!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We have a great team right now. I just want people to see the film.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love for the film to inspire some disenfranchised young person to start a creative community of her own.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Probably something about whether Vice are responsible for what happened to Death By Audio, but that's up to you guys! I hope it just sparks a conversation about the changing landscape of our society and how much or how little value we put on creative spaces, community spaces and how much freedom we want artists to have in our society.
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Amanda, my Producer, and I are working on several other narrative and documentary projects. We're just psyched to be making films.