SONGCATCHER New Directions From American Independents

With a dazzling cast led by Academy-Award-nominee Janet Mc Teer, Aidan Quinn and newcomer Emmy Rossum, SONGCATCHER won the Sundance 2000 Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. It is both a journey into one woman’s soul and a revelation of the Appalachian songs that have deeply influenced American music.

In 1907, musicologist Lily Penleric sets out for Appalachia to visit her schoolteacher sister. There, she discovers a wealth of songs not heard outside of England for centuries, and she immediately sets out to record them. As she gets to know the locals through their music, she moves from observer to participant in their everyday lives. Not everyone welcomes her, however, musician Tom Bledsoe accuses her of exploitation, even as a mutual attraction builds between them.

The incredible soundtrack features contemporary musical talent including Iris Dement, Taj Mahal, Hazel Dickens and Emmylou Harris.