It is that time of year – the leaves are changing, the temperature drops, and the time for new music and independent films is upon us.
From Oct. 18–22, New York City will become a hub for everything fresh and unknown to the mainstream. With headquarters in New York University's Greenwich Village campus, the CMJ festival branches throughout the entire city – becoming the city's largest music festival, with more than 80 venues over a 5-day marathon and access to 70+ panels, seminars, Q&As, late night parties, meet and greets, mixers, film premieres, specials occassions, and exclusive events, according to the CMJ website.
This festival is genre-blind and does not cater to only one type of taste. From dubstep, to hip-hop and indie rock, 1,300 artists A through Z will perform their own unique set and introduce their musical signature from a professional platform. For those bands and individuals selected by attending record companies, this festival is a jump-off point to bigger and better things in the music industry – even offering a certified seminar concerning entertainment business law, open to any one person willing to pay.
Originally, the CMJ Music and Film Festival focused solely on music. Hosted by the CMJ Network, its few venues around the city propelled unknown artists to the forefront, as industry professionals sought out new artists in the world of college radio. Spanning across three decades, the mission of this festival has not changed, but expanded. In the past two decades to accommodate those wishing for recognition in film.
Advanced screenings of notable films "Pulp Fiction," "Fight Club," and "Borat" have been previewed here, as well as others from more independent studios. In the past, the film festival has featured in-depth sessions and discussions with notables such as Quentin Tarantino, Anderson Cooper and Kevin Smith. A noteworthy premiere this year, "Pearl Jam Twenty," hails from the award-winning director and music journalist Cameron Crowe. The film itself is compiled from over 1,200 hours of rare, never-before-seen, live footage and interviews from the band Pearl Jam.
Tickets are available and will continue to be through the festival's end on Saturday Oct. 22nd. They are available through the CMJ website, along with content, videos and interviews about specific performances and artists.
By purchasing a ticket to CMJ, music and films fans can experience exclusive shows and films.
Chelsea Catlett can be reached at chelsea.catlett@student.shu.edu
