The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame wrapped up its second annual Music Documentary Film Festival on Sunday with an awards ceremony honoring films and filmmakers from Long Island and around the world.
The three-day festival featured more than 40 films spanning rock, hip-hop, folk, jazz, classical, opera, punk, alternative and Latin music. Despite a major storm that disrupted travel and caused other events to be canceled, LIMEHOF continued with its scheduled screenings throughout the weekend.
“Together, we kept the celebration of music and film alive,” festival executive director Tom Needham told the audience before the awards began. Needham also recognized artistic director Wendy Feiner, LIMEHOF staff and volunteers for their work throughout the weekend.
“These films reminded us that music can change lives. It brings people together. It builds community.” — Tom Needham
This year’s lineup included documentaries centered on Billy Joel, Ann Wilson, Kenny Loggins, Peter Asher, Robert Charlebois, Paquito D’Rivera, the Newport Folk Festival and Long Island’s underground hip-hop scene. Other films screened during the weekend included For the Love of the City, Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer Revealed and Eraserheads: Combo on the Run.
The biggest winner of the night was Billy Preston: That’s The Way God Planned It, which received both the juried Best Film Award and the Audience Award for Best Film.
The filmmakers were unable to attend the ceremony, but associate producer and creative executive Brendan Caplan sent a message thanking LIMEHOF on behalf of the film’s team. The Audience Award was determined separately through ballots submitted by festival attendees following the weekend’s screenings. Organizers said the voting for Best Film was extremely close and was not finalized until shortly before the award was announced.
1971 Billy Joel: Lost Interviews received the Innovation in Filmmaking Award. Adam Ripp, the film’s director reflected on completing his first film since losing his sight during the COVID era.
“I may have lost my sight, but I haven’t lost my vision as a filmmaker.”
He described the documentary as a difficult project to get behind and thanked LIMEHOF for supporting the film and believing in his work. They believed in the film, they believed in me. And it wasn’t easy.
Long Island’s own musical history took center stage when Archie Snowden received the Hometown Filmmaker Award for his documentary on Long Island’s underground hip-hop scene.
Snowden reflected on hip-hop’s evolution from music many parents dismissed during its early years into something that now influences movies, television, advertising and popular culture.
“We got it out of the house, and we put it in the street. And that’s when it started to grow.” — Archie Snowden
Snowden added that while hip-hop “didn’t create anything,” it ultimately “recreated everything to this day,” pointing to the genre’s influence throughout modern culture.
The Best International Film Award went to The Extraordinary Life of Robert Charlebois. Director Louis-Philippe Eno, who traveled from Europe to attend the festival, accepted the award and praised the community he found at LIMEHOF.
“I really have a great sense of community here. It’s amazing. Keep going. Make it happen.” — Louis-Philippe Eno
Earlier Sunday, Eno participated in a Q&A about the film and his seven-year working relationship with Charlebois. He explained that part of his motivation was documenting the Canadian music icon’s life while the 82-year-old performer could still actively participate in telling his own story.
Maria Diane Ventura received the Best International Director Award for Eraserheads: Combo on the Run, documenting influential Filipino rock band Eraserheads. Ventura thanked the festival for giving the documentary a platform and an opportunity to introduce its story to another audience.
“I’m happy to be sharing a Filipino story with everyone. This has been a great journey.” — Maria Diane Ventura
Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia was also in attendance and joined Ventura during the ceremony.
Newport & The Great Folk Dream received the Social Impact Award. Earlier Sunday, producer, musician and Long Island archivist Joe Lauro joined Needham for a Q&A about the film, which uses archival footage from the Newport Folk Festival to explore the folk revival and the music’s connections with civil rights and protest.
Lauro described the story as ultimately hopeful and an example of the ability music had to bring young people into larger cultural and social movements.
“Music can be powerful and the music can inspire and music can lead you to things like helping the civil rights movement and protest.” — Joe Lauro
Other awards presented Sunday included the Musical Crossroads Award to Peter Asher: Everywhere Man and the Authentic Voice Award to Ann Wilson: In My Words. Summer Tour received the Spirit of Independent Filmmaking Award, while Paquito D’Rivera: From Carne y Frijol to Carnegie Hall earned the Roots and Rhythm Award.
Four Hands was named Best International Short, with its filmmaker describing the movie as a story about mentorship and passing knowledge from one generation to another. Dori Berinstein received the Best Director Award for her Kenny Loggins documentary and used her acceptance speech to recognize the other filmmakers and the community that developed during the weekend. Pasted text Pasted text
Oh Yeah! received the Best Short Award, while The Art of Being Different won the Audience Award for Best Short.
The ceremony brought three days of screenings, filmmaker appearances and Q&As to a close. From internationally known artists to stories rooted directly in Long Island’s musical history, the festival’s second year continued LIMEHOF’s effort to provide a dedicated home for music documentaries and the filmmakers preserving those stories.
As the ceremony ended, organizers thanked the filmmakers who made the trip to Long Island despite the storm and expressed hopes of continuing the festival for years to come.
- Spirit of Independent Filmmaking Award: Summer Tour — Directed by Mischa Richter
- Authentic Voice Award: Ann Wilson: In Her Words — Directed by Barbara Jean Hall
- Innovation in Filmmaking Award: 1971: Billy Joel’s Lost Interview — Directed by Adam Ripp
- Musical Crossroads Award: Peter Asher: Everywhere Man — Directed by Daniel Geller & Dayna Goldfine
- Social Impact Award: Newport & The Great Folk Dream — Directed by Joe Lauro
- Long Island Filmmaker Award: Archie Snowden — The Long Island Underground Legends of Hip-Hop
- Roots and Rhythm Award: Paquito D’Rivera: From Carne y Frijol to Carnegie Hall — Directed by Juan Mandelbaum
- Best International Short: Four Hands — Directed by Hélène Sevaux
- Best International Feature: The Extraordinary Life of Robert Charlebois — Directed by Louis-Philippe Eno
- Best International Director: Maria Diane Ventura — Eraserheads: Combo on the Run
- Best US Director: Dori Berinstein — Kenny Loggins: Conviction of the Heart
- Best US Short: Oh Yeah! — Directed by Nick Canfield
- Best US Feature: Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It — Directed by Paris Barclay
- Audience Award, Short: The Art of Being Different — Directed by Marlow Jean Pinnicia
- Audience Award, Feature: Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It — Directed by Paris Barclay
