MUSEUM TOWN
About the Film
Documentary | 1 HR 16 MIN
DOCUMENTARY | 1 HR 16 MIN
Available for streaming December 27
Each stream is $12 and will be available for purchase December 27th at 8:00 am CST. Once unlocked after purchasing, viewers will have 7 days to start watching.
Jennifer Trainer’s captivating new documentary MUSEUM TOWN tells the story of a unique museum, the small town it calls home, and the great risk, hope, and power of art to transform a desolate post-industrial city.
In 2017, MASS MoCA became the largest museum for contemporary art in the world—but just three decades before, its vast brick buildings were the abandoned relics of a massive shuttered factory. How did such a wildly improbable transformation come to be? A testament to tenacity and imagination, MUSEUM TOWN traces the remarkable story of how a small rural Massachusetts town went from economic collapse to art mecca.
Threaded with interviews of a diverse cast – a tattooed curator, a fabricator, former factory worker, and shopkeepers—the film also looks at the artistic process itself, tracking the work and ideas of celebrated artist Nick Cave as he creates his groundbreaking installation at MASS MoCA, UNTIL.
With appearances by artists ranging from James Turrell to David Byrne, narration by Meryl Streep, and a soundtrack from John Stirratt of Wilco, MUSEUM TOWN captures the meeting of small-town USA and the global art world as it tells a tale that is, like any great artwork, soulful, thought-provoking and unforgettable.
Trailer
Related Films
87 MIN
US, Ukraine, Australia
Under roaring fighter jets, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey choose to stay behind. Defiantly finding beauty amid destruction, they show that although it’s easy to make people afraid, it’s hard to destroy their passion for living.
Colorado Premiere
98 MIN
US
Joe Jennings, an innovator in the world of skydiving, has spent decades capturing breathtaking aerial moments with his camera for extreme sports competitions, Super Bowl commercials, and Hollywood blockbusters. Driven by a passion for "camera flying" in his youth, Joe cultivated a deep friendship with fellow skydiver Rob Harris, partnering to become one of the most influential skysurfing teams in history.
TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY
90 MIN
In 2024, the long-thought-lost 16mm reels of Tom Petty in Cameron Crowe’s first film, HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY, were finally found. The classic ‘80s documentary captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the “Long After Dark” album.
After its initial airing on MTV in 1983, the film was deemed too experimental and abruptly pulled from the air. In the more than 40 years since, it has become folklore to fans, musicians, and within the entertainment industry - even credited with inspiring scenes in Spinal Tap.
The highly anticipated & fully remastered HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY is a fun, candid, fast-paced, & musically rich ride with America’s greatest rock & roll band, a time capsule of the dawn of the MTV era, and a rare & shining glimpse into Tom Petty’s lasting creative genius.
This exclusive theatrical release features 19 minutes of fully remastered, never-before-seen, archival bonus footage and new commentary from director Cameron Crowe.
106 MIN
Norway
Underwritten by Monica Vidal + Joe Sherman When Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at age 25, his parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated existence. They were unaware that Mats had long been leading a vibrant digital life that had profoundly impacted a community of […]