Electrified and Cheat You Fair have been added to film lineup of the Deep Blues Film Festival, part of the Deep Blues Festival in Lake Elmo, MN July 18-20, 2008.

More info on the Festival on The Deep Blues Blog.

Technorati Tags: Electrified, Cheat You Fair, Deep Blues Festival

I was able to make it down to Austin, Texas for the Red Gorilla Music Festival, March 10-12, and it was a wonderful experience. Del Breckenfeld, of Fender Guitars (a sponsor of Red Gorilla) had suggested that we show “Electrified” and “Cheat You Fair” at this relatively new festival, which runs concurrently with South By Southwest, and hooked us up with Roger Martinsen, one of the producer’s of the event. We decided we’d show both films, back to back, at a venue called The Chuggin’ Monkey in downtown Austin.

On the first day I arrived, I met with Roger, a fast-talking, former New Yorker, also sporting a shaved dome, and we immediately sprang into action. Our promotional postcards had already arrived — 5000 of them — and we had lots of “passing out” to do. About 1000 into it, Roger noticed a minor problem — there was no date on the postcard! Ever the undaunted promoter, Roger immediately suggested that we go to Office Max and purchase a date stamp, collect all of our postcards, stamp them and distribute them again. So, we did… and we did. At times like this, there is no time for feeling defeated or down, and we both gleefully sprang into action to make the best of what proved to be a minor obstacle.

Throughout Austin, from bar to bar we hoofed… from the Civic Center, to restaurants, and to public places of all kinds. There were mountains of fliers and postcards for films and events of all kinds, promoted mostly by exhibitors at the gargantuan South By Southwest Film/Music Festival. There were rockers from around the world, filmmakers, auteurs and fans. Billy Bob Thorton and his band were playing that night; there were rumors that REM would be playing at some local dive. In any case, Roger and I had a great time together and walked almost every inch of Austin on that first day. Five Starbucks coffees later, by evening, my dogs were blistered and battered, but I felt a great sense of achievement having passed out a good (properly stamped) 3500 postcards, promoting my film screening the next day.

On the day of the event, not a whole lot happened. Roger had some preliminary things to take care of, but our work had already been done. At around 1pm, we made it down to The Chuggin’ Monkey.

The screening was at 3pm. A photographer name Nikki Paschen was at the bar, already taking pics of people in the club and passerbyers. She had a great story how her boyfriend, a professional charter boatman, had recently captured a 600 lb. Mako shark with a tiny hook.

The screening was about to begin.

A group of guys from Sweden (one of whom had visited Maxwell Street) showed up, along with several other locals. Nanci Walker, Director of Creative Affairs from Universal Music Publishing, was also there.

It was a typical hot afternoon in downtown Austin, except for the fact that Maxwell Street was now being rediscovered at the Chuggin’ Monkey!

Nanci had to leave before the end of the film, but she gave me her card and asked that I call her about producing similar documentaries for Universal in the future. She thought my Maxwell Street film was very powerful and, potentially, marketable.

When it was over, I left for my hotel to take a nap and Roger and I planned to hook up later in the evening and hit some local clubs. From my hotel window, I could see the convention center, which was the focal point of South By Southwest.

That night, Roger and I met up and hit several places in downtown Austin, enjoying the local flavor along the way.

We discovered one little bar where 95 yr. old Chicago blues icon, Pinetop Perkins was playing the piano with his band.

Before we left, Roger and I were lucky enough to get our picture taken with Pinetop, a true, blues legend and generous man.

See you next year, Austin!

Phil Ranstrom Writer/Producer/Director

“Electrified: The Story of the Maxwell Street Urban Blues” “Cheat You Fair: The Story of Maxwell Street”

Technorati Tags: Red Gorilla, Pinetop Perkins, Fender, Austin, SxSW

Here is the schedule for the March 11th Electrified and Cheat You Fair screenings at The Chuggin’ Monkey in Austin:

3:00 pm: Screening of Cheat You Fair
4:30 pm: Q&A with director Phil Ranstrom
5:15 pm: Screening of Electrified
6:oo pm: Q&A with director Phil Ranstrom

Admission is free. The Chuggin’ Monkey is at 219 E. 6th Street, Austin, TX 78701.

Thank you to our friends at the Red Gorilla Music Fest for making us part of their celebration.

Technorati Tags: Electrified, Cheat You Fair, Chuggin’ Monkey, Red Gorilla Music Fest

If you’ll be in Austin Texas on March 11, 2008, mark your calendars now for screenings of Electrified and Cheat You Fair. Both films will be shown during the opening festivities of Red Gorilla Music Fest at The Chuggin’ Monkey on 6th Street. We don’t have the specific times yet for each film, but they will most likely be between 2 - 6 pm. More info as we get it.

Technorati Tags: Red Gorilla Music Fest, Electrified, Cheat You Fair, blues documentary

Just a quick reminder that the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago is showing Cheat You Fair this Saturday February 2 at 8pm. A live Q&A with director Phil Ranstrom follows the screening.

The final act of the film details the various conflicts of interest between state government officials and local private developers which allowed this historic market to be destroyed. Among those taken to task is William Cellini who is once again in the news as a conspirator in a possible corruption case involving Patti Blagojevich, the Illinois governor’s wife.

Tags: William Cellini, Patti Blagojevich, Phil Ranstrom, Cheat You Fair, Maxwell Street

Electrified- The Story of the Maxwell Street Urban Blues will be launched at a party at Harry O’s in  Park City on Friday January 25th. In addition to the screening of the film, there will be a live performance by acclaimed blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and blues legend Hubert Sumlin. Actor Chevy Chase will be master of ceremonies. Fender has also donated a limited edition “Electrified” guitar that film executive producer Les Walgreen will present  to online auction house Charity Buzz for an auction  to benefit The Center for Environmental Education Online.

Electrified tells the definitive history of the Chicago blues. Written, directed and produced by Phil Ranstrom and narrated by actor Joe Mantegna, the film chronicles how the urban neighborhood of Maxwell Street created a unique environment of commerce and cooperation that led first to the hard-driving sound of the urban blues, and ultimately to rock and roll. Interviews with many of the legendary bluesmen who “studied at Chicago’s Maxwell Street school of music,” including Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmie Lee Robinson and the “father of rock and roll” Bo Diddley, complement the film’s historical narrative and create an exceptional history of this important era in American music.

A companion film, Cheat You Fair: The Story of Maxwell Street, documents the last days of the historic Maxwell Street market. It premiered to critical acclaim at the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival in April 2007, and is scheduled to be shown at the Amnesty International venue at Sundance January 18-20 and the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago on February 2.

Both Electrified and Cheat You Fair were written, directed and produced by longtime Chicago resident  and Emmy nominated producer Phil Ranstrom who began the projects in 1994 shortly before the Maxwell Street market was demolished.

We’ve put some short clips from both films up on YouTube. They are all great, but here are my two favorites:

"We come up the hard way…" Uncle Johnny Williams on how the blues were born

Eddie "Jewtown" Burkes performing "Step It Up And Go"

Tags: blues, urban blues, Chicago blues, Maxwell Street, Sundance, documentary, Phil Ranstrom, Les Walgreen