A major new feature documentary on legendary musician Miles Davis, titled Miles Davis: Birth of Cool, will premiere in the Documentary Premieres strand of the next edition of the Sundance Film Festival, which will take place in Park City, Utah, on January 24-February 3, 2019. A theatrical global release for the film is planned for the summer of 2019.
Miles Davis: Birth of Cool is described as a definitive account of the man behind the legend. It is a co-production of Eagle Rock Entertainment, Firelight Films and American Masters Pictures, and directed by Stanley Nelson, the Emmy Award-winning director of the acclaimed 2015 documentary The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, which examined the rise of the Black Panthers in the ’60s and its impact on civil rights and American culture. Miles Davis: Birth of Cool will mark his tenth premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
“Miles Davis is an undisputed musical legend – but what I hoped to discover was the man behind the myth,” explains Nelson via an official statement. “By unpacking his upbringing, his methodology, his relationships and his demons, we begin to understand the man who would redefine the original musical genre, jazz, and has influenced generations of musicians in rock, funk and hip-hop.”
The production had an unprecedented access to the Miles Davis Estate and boasts never-before-seen footage, including recording outtakes from studio sessions, as well as rare photos and other materials. It also features new interviews with such luminaries as producer Quincy Jones, guitarist Carlos Santana, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and producer Clive Davis, among many others.
Miles Davis: Birth of Cool is one of three major music documentaries that will make their world premiere during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The program, in fact, also includes the Cameron Crowe co-produced and A.J. Eaton directed David Crosby: Remember My Name, which focuses on rock legend David Crosby’s life and creative drive over five decades into his career, and Marianne & Leonard, directed by Nick Broomfield, which explores the lasting bond between Leonard Cohen and his Norwegian muse Marianne Ihlen, following their evolving romance from their early days in Greece up through the end of their lives.
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