The International Bluegrass Music Museum’s “2007 Legends Concert” will be screened at the Sunday, January 29, 2012 NCBS IBMM Film Festival in Redwood City. The FREE event will take place at the Redwood City Main Library, 1044 Middlefield Road, Noon-5:00pm.

The official museum film will join six independently-produced bluegrass documentaries on the program.

The 5th annual film festival, part of the Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, supports the IBMM’s Video Oral History Project.

Michael Hall is the film festival director. Museum Trustee Carl Pagter will host the program.

Complete Festival Schedule

Filmmaker Chris Simon

Filmmaker Chris Simon’s “I Hear What You See — The Old-Time World Of Kenny Hall” will be screened on January 29 in Redwood City as part of the 5th annual NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival. The festival will run Noon-5:00pm at the Redwood City Main Library, 1044 Middlefield Road.

Kenny Hall reviews his interview with Chris Simon.

Fresno’s Kenny Hall, born blind in 1923, is a mainstay of the California old-time music scene. Despite his far-reaching influence in creating and preserving traditional music, he chose to avoid a career on the national stage in favor of playing music with his friends and enjoying an outdoor lifestyle. He still performs regularly with his Long Haul String Band at area events, including the annual Sweet’s Mill gathering in the California mountains.

Young guitarist Kenny Hall with the Desmonds.

Chris Simon is a fourth generation Californian now based in Salt Lake City. She collaborated with documentarian Les Blank for over 15 years creating classic traditional music films before founding her own company Sageland Media in 1995. Her longtime involvement in the traditional music scene led her to Kenny Hall, and she began this five-year-long film project while living in Fresno.

Sweets Mill String Band

Simon and her associate Maureen Gosling are currently working on a forthcoming documentary about Chris Strachwitz and Arhoolie Records.

Complete BOB Festival Weekend Schedule

The Northern California Bluegrass Society’s January 27-29 Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, including the film festival, is FREE. Principal financial support comes from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission, Redwood City Public Library, One World Montessori School, Wickersham & Murphy and the Tapestry Church.

Kenny Hall

Larry Nager’s documentary film “Bill Monroe — The Father Of Bluegrass Music,” which was re-edited and re-released for the 2011 centennial celebration of Monroe’s birth, will be screened at the 5th Annual NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival on January 29 in Redwood City.

The documentary features interviews with Monroe and his musical friends, along with historical footage of his legendary career and of informal jam sessions at his Tennessee home. The film was orginally released in 1993, three years before Monroe’s death.

Larry Nager is a Nashville-based filmmaker & musician and a roots music author,  journalist & historian.

The film festival is part of the FREE Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, presented January 27-29 in Redwood City by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

Complete Festival Schedule

Mountain View High School Senior Frank Grabowski’s “Bluegrass — A Documentary” will be screened at the 2012 NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival on January 29, Noon-5:00pm at the Redwood City Main Library, 1044 Middlefield Road in Redwood City. This will be the first student film shown at the five-year-old festival.

“There are still many concerts and camp outs for Bluegrass, but a vast majority of Bluegrass players play in small groups known as ‘jams’ during which 3-10 people get together and play songs,” says Grabowski.

The film explores the culture of informal bluegrass music in the local area and beyond, and contains footage of and interviews with many of Northern California’s best-known musicians.

Grabowski has been making video media projects for fun since the 6th grade. This project was for a class at Freestyle Academy, which is affiliated with Mountain View and Los Altos High Schools. He plans to major in media studies in college next year, with a focus on claymation stop motion animation. He plays piano and guitar, and has attended area bluegrass festivals with his family.

The film festival is part of the FREE January 27-29 NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, produced with the support of the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission and other Redwood City agencies, organizations and businesses.

Complete Weekend Festival Schedule

The 5th Annual Northern California Bluegrass Awards will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012, as part of the Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Bluegrass On Broadway Festival in Redwood City. All BOB events are FREE and open to the public. Here is the schedule:

Northern California Bluegrass Awards Show And Concert

Tapestry Church Main Hall, 1305 Middlefield Road, Redwood City

10:00am — The Abbott Brothers

11:00 — Windy Hill

Noon — Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players

1:00pm – Bean Creek

2:00 — Dark Hollow

3:00-5:00 — Northern California Bluegrass Awards, (with special guest performers)

5:00-ish to whenever — Award Winners Jam (ALL jammers are welcome), Little India, 917 Main Street.

Complete BOB Festival Weekend Schedule