Acclaimed filmmaker John Scheinfeld’s new documentary “Sergio Mendes: In The Key of Joy” will world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Saturday, January 18th at the Lobero Theatre. Following the screening, Sergio Mendes will perform a special 3 song set and participate in a Q&A with director John Scheinfeld. “Sergio Mendes: In The Key of Joy” is a joyful cinematic celebration of this singular musical artist who remains as vital and relevant today as when he exploded on the scene with his group, Brasil ’66.
One of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Mendes is a three-time Grammy® Award winner and has recorded more than 35 albums, many of which went gold or platinum, including the critically acclaimed Timeless, produced by will.i.am. Hit singles include Mas Que Nada, The Look of Love, Scarborough Fair, Night and Day, Never Gonna Let You Go and his unforgettable rendition of Fool on the Hill.
With Sergio telling much of his story in his own words, Sergio Mendes: In The Key of Joy paints a rich, entertaining and revelatory portrait of an extraordinary artist. Bringing added emotion and intimacy to the story is the inclusion of 50 recordings from every phase of Sergio’s career, as well as rare or never-before-seen film clips, home movies and photos from the Mendes family album.
Compelling interviews Herb Alpert, Carlinhos Brown, Harrison Ford, Lani Hall (lead singer of Brasil ’66), Quincy Jones, John Legend, Gracinha Mendes (Sergio’s wife and lead singer since 1971), Jerry Moss, Pele (soccer legend), Carlos Saldhana (Oscar-nominated filmmaker of Rio) and will.i. am offer unique perspectives on the music, the man and his on-going journey and deepen the emotional resonance of the finished film.
From pop culture to politics, sports to world religions, Venice and Toronto film festivals to PBS, Emmy®, Grammy® and Writers Guild Award nominee John Scheinfeld is a critically acclaimed Director, Writer, and Producer of documentaries with a broad range of subjects and productions to his credit.
Director, John Scheinfeld is best known for two widely acclaimed feature documentaries: The U.S. vs. John Lennon, which tells the true story of the US government’s attempt to silence the beloved musician and iconic advocate for peace and Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?, a compelling yet wildly entertaining documentary about one of the most talented and uncompromising singer-songwriters in pop music history.
His feature documentary, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, with Denzel Washington speaking the words of the iconic musician, was an official selection of the Telluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival before playing on 175 theater screens worldwide during the spring of 2017. It was licensed by Netflix which continues to air the film.
During his career Scheinfeld has also written, produced and/or directed numerous documentaries about such pop culture legends as the Bee Gees, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Bing Crosby, Norman Lear, Dean Martin, the Marx Brothers, Ricky Nelson, Peter Sellers, Frank Sinatra, Brian Wilson, and Jonathan Winters.
Photo : Sergio Mendes, Courtesy of Sicily Publicity
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