The Bonnaroo Cinema is among the most popular attractions at the Roo, and for good reason. The air-conditioned, seated space hosts a wide variety of movies 24 hours a day, including, comedies, classics, world cinema, documentaries, short films, animated films, and even NBA playoff games. Check the back of your program for the full schedule and join us for a few flicks. You won’t believe your eyes!
This year, the Cinema will host a spate of new flicks and live presentations. We’ll show the hilarious teenage wasteland movie Charlie Bartlett, a tale of a precocious rich kid who turns his high school bathroom into a makeshift shrink’s office—scrips and all! Plus, acoustic band the Duhks will host a unique discussion after An Inconvenient Truth.
The Flaming Lips also have a flick of their own, and Wayne Coyne will join us for a special late night showing. Coyne will personally introduce the otherworldly cinematic adventure Christmas on Mars! Another Bonnaroo regular, Les Claypool, will also appear in the cinema tent this year. Everyone’s favorite bass slapping masquerader will talk about his rock mockumentary Electric Apricot following a screening of this hilarious jam band scene send-up.
Bela Fleck will be in the cinema tent to talk to fans about the documentary Throw Down Your Heart, made by his brother Sascha Paladino. The film captures Fleck’s journey to Uganda and Tanzania to discover the roots of his instrument, banjo, and record an album with native musicians. Fans will have a chance to see the film and ask him about this life changing experience.
Also in store, the Slamdance Film Festival is pleased to present selections of award winning Slamdance shorts. Slamdance has established a unique reputation for premiering new films by emerging writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets and Bonnaroo is thrilled to bring you some of that onscreen magic.
The Bonnaroo Cinema is happy to help along Live Earth’s mission to use the power of music and film to raise awareness for the climate crisis and provide simple ways for individuals to help solve the problem. For the 7.7.07 events, over sixty music video directors, actors, cutting edge animators, and Oscar-winning documentary filmmakers created short films that make up the Live Earth Short Film Series. Stop by and check them out!
Bonnaroo will host a special screening of Body of War, an intimate and transformational feature documentary that shows the true face of war today through Tomas Young’s personal story. Paralyzed at age 25 from a bullet to his spine, Young was wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week. Body of War tells the story of his homecoming as he comes to terms with his disability and finds his own unique and passionate voice against the war. The film is produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, and features two original songs by Eddie Vedder. Body of War is a naked and honest portrayal of what it's like inside the body, heart and soul of this extraordinary young man.
There’s another amazing documentary screening at Bonnaroo that focuses on the Iraq situation. Heavy Metal in Baghdad is the story of Iraqi band Acrassicauda’s struggle for artistic freedom from the fall of Saddam Hussein until the present day. Watch in awe as these brave soldiers of rock struggle to keep their dreams (and themselves) alive.
We’ll also have a special film presentation of a work-in-progress by Ron Mann, the award-winning director of Grass and Go Further. Do mushrooms sustain the earth? Do they come from a faraway planet? These questions and more are addressed in Know Your Mushrooms, a new documentary filmed at the 27th Telluride Mushroom Festival. The film has original music by the Flaming Lips!
Bonnaroo is also proud to feature Playing For Change films, created by the foundation of the same name, which is dedicated to building “connected” music and arts schools around the world, beginning in May 2007 in Gugulethu, South Africa. Please join us to see films inspired by musicians and communities throughout the world.
We’re very excited to bring Bonnaroo attendees a mini-fest of amazing films and discussions. We invite you to visit our Cinema throughout the festival weekend to enjoy these astonishing films and learn more about the crucial issues they address. Come on by!
THURSDAY, June 12th
Noon The 40 Year Old Virgin
1:55 PM Live Earth Film Series
2:55 PM Playing for Change: Peace Through Music
4:10 PM Slingshot Hip Hop
5:25 PM Slamdance Short Films
6:25 PM Sigur Rós' Heima
8:00 PM NBA Finals Game 4
10:30 PM Superbad
FRIDAY, JUNE 13th
12:25 AM The Orphanage
2:10 AM Late Night Noir: Double Indemnity
4:00 AM Late Night Noir: The Maltese Falcon
5:45 AM Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
7:45 AM A Call to Action
8:25 AM Playing for Change: Peace Through Music
9:45 AM Throw Down Your Heart
11:2AM Charlie Bartlett
1:00 PM Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo (a Les Claypool movie)
2:30 PM Q&A: Les Claypool
3:15 PM Live Earth Film Series
4:15 PM Body of War
6:30 PM Get in the Van
7:00 PM Slamdance Short Films
8:00 PM Daft Punk's Electroma
9:15 PM The 40 Year Old Virgin
11:15 AM Eastern Promises
SATURDAY, JUNE 14th
1:00 AM I'm Not There
3:15 AM Late Night Noir: Sunset Boulevard
5:10 AM Late Night Noir: Touch of Evil
6:55 AM Sigur Rós' Heima
8:35 AM Get in the Van
8:55 AM Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo (a Les Claypool movie)
10:25 AM Slamdance Short Films
11:25 AM An Inconvenient Truth
2:00 PM Q&A: Global Warming with The Duhks
2:45 PM Live Earth Film Series
5:00 PM Charlie Bartlett
7:30 PM A Call to Action
8:10 PM Heavy Metal in Baghdad
9:35 PM Get in the Van
9:50 PM Eastern Promises
SUNDAY, JUNE 15th
11:35 PM Superbad
1:30 AM The Flaming Lips' Christmas On Mars with Intro by Wayne Coyne
3:15 AM Late Night Noir: Double Indemnity
5:00AM Late Night Noir: The Maltese Falcon
7:35AM Daft Punk's Electroma
8:50 AM Body of War
10:20 AM A Call to Action
11:00 AM Throw Down Your Heart - Intro and Q&A by Béla Fleck
1:20 PM The Doorman
2:45 PM Know Your Mushrooms - Intro and Q&A with Ron Mann
4:15 PM Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
6:15 PM Live Earth Film Series
7:15 PM Slamdance Short Films
8:15 PM NBA Finals Game 5 (if neccesary)