SIFF DocFest: They All Came Out To Montreux
October 3, 2024
An affectionate ode to a music industry newcomer who, seemingly overnight, transformed his quiet Swiss town into a mecca for some of the biggest musicians in the world. Featuring an abundance of performance footage from A-list musicians from Aretha Franklin to Miles Davis to Prince.
Starting at 5:00pm, join us for an Opening Night reception at Solo Bar. Opening Night pre-show hosted by KNKX.
Individual Tickets: Select showtime to purchase
Passes: $100 | $75 Members - Provides access to all DocFest screenings
SIFF year-round passes are not valid for DocFest screenings.
Beginning in 1967, everyone who was anyone in the jazz, blues, and rock world began making their way to a sleepy town on Lake Geneva to perform at a new music festival. Almost immediately, the Montreux Jazz Festival began to present an astonishing lineup: from Nina Simone to Quincy Jones, Etta James to David Bowie, the Rolling Stones to Carole King—the number of A-list musicians showing up to perform was astonishing, if not unprecedented. Its founder, Claude Nobs, had virtually no knowledge of the music industry, but possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of music and musicians, and set out to make the festival a creative hub for some of the biggest musicians of the 20th century. Additionally, Claude filmed the festival's proceedings each year, leaving behind an archive of extraordinary depth—much of which has never been seen. Director Oliver Murray weaves this newly digitized footage together with interviews and Nobs’ own home movies to create a loving, lasting testament to a festival that defined its time and was simultaneously years ahead of it.
- Director: Oliver Murray
- Principal Cast: Prince, Sting, Carlos Santana, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Miles Davis
- Country: United Kingdom
- Year: 2024
- Running Time: 93 min.
- Producer: Bill Lord
- Cinematographers: Richard Dunton
- Editors: Janka Troeber, Tim Thompsett
- Music: Paul Englishby
- Filmography: Ronnie;s (2020), The Quiet One (2019)
- Language: English
- Format: DCP
- International Sales: Mercury Studios