Finally!   After many years of having this film sitting in Murray Lerner's closet, the Academy Award nominated film "Festival!" will be released on DVD on October 18! Eagle Rock Entertainment is releasing the DVD here in the states.

Murray Lerner, who also made the film "Message From Love" about the Isle of Wight Festival, filmed the Newport Folk Festival from 1963 to 1966 and released this film in 1967. The film had a very limited release, and since then has only been seen in sporadic and rare theatrical screenings.    The story is that there were music rights issues which had prevented the release. I guess that has cleared up!

I have seen the film, first in a theater and then on a poorly recorded bootleg version.   It is truly remarkable. Lerner's style was evidently "borrowed" by the producers of documentaries such as "Woodstock".   You will see some of the unused footage cropping up in the Dylan documentary "No Direction Home".

Don't miss this one!

Here is the tracklisting:
1) Hannah – Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band w/ Mel Lyman
2) If I Had A Hammer – Peter, Paul and Mary
3) Rocky Road – Sacred Harp Singers
4) Traditional Spiritual – Georgia Sea Island Singers
5) Clog Dance – Blue Ridge Mountain Dancers
6) Black Mountain Rag – Tex Logan and The Lilly Brothers
7) Green Corn – Pete Seeger
8) Codeine…And It's Real – Buffy Sainte-Marie
9) Deep Blue Sea – Pete Seeger
10) Lordy, Lordy – Odetta
11) Go Tell Aunt Rhody – Joan Baez and Peter Yarrow
12) Mary Hamilton – Joan Baez
13) All I Really Want To Do – Bob Dylan
14) All Our Trials – Joan Baez
15) Blowin' In The Wind – Peter, Paul and Mary
16) And The War Drags On – Donovan
17) Turn, Turn, Turn – Judy Collins
18) Viet Nam, Your Latest Game – Donovan
19) Just Can't Keep From Cryin' – Odetta
20) Times They Are A Changin' – Peter, Paul and Mary
21) Highway 61 – Fred McDowell
22) Keys To The Highway – Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry
23) Candy Man – Mississippi John Hurt
24) Maggie's Farm – Bob Dylan
25) Instrumental – Ed Young Fife & Drum Corps
26) Feed Me, Jesus – Swan Silvertones
27) Help Me, Jesus – Staple Singers
28) Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round – Freedom Singers
29) Go Tell It On The Mountain – Fannie Lou Hamer
30) We Shall Overcome – Freedom Group Finale w/ Odetta
31) I Was Born In Chicago – Paul Butterfield Blues Band
32) Son House Blues – Son House
33) You Hear My Howling Early In The Morning – Howling Wolf
34) Pack Up Your Sorrows – Mimi and Dick Farina
35) Flute Instrumental – Spokes Mashiyane
36) Cheek Slapping – Cousin Emmy
37) Russian Song – Theodore Bikel
38) Anathea – Judy Collins
39) I Walk The Line – Johnny Cash
40) Ruby – Osborne Bros.
41) Farewell Angelina – Joan Baez
42) Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan
43) Rising Of The Moon – Peter, Paul and Mary
44) Down By The Riverside – Group Finale w/ Baez, Odetta and Seeger