A must-see for fans of music and photography alike.

Leslie Ann Coles, who runs the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto, makes a very worthy debut feature in this nostalgic story of the rise of Melody Maker magazine from its jazz roots in 1926, to its huge success as the bible of rock ‘n’ roll from the 60s. What makes this film stand out is its focus on those who made the magazine a success, with photographer Barrie Wentzell taking the well-deserved limelight with his captivating accounts of interactions with rock stars and the secrets behind the opportunities for the perfect shots. Candid recollections include the moment Pink Floyd’s Sid Barrett locked himself away in a room convinced that his management were aliens and were out to get him, and the worry Barrie experienced when John Lennon insisted on posing in front of an anti-American propaganda poster shortly before moving to New York. We’re not just getting to see the rock bands (many of whom found members through Melody Maker listings) and the rise of rock ’n’ roll in this feature, we’re getting emotional truth behind the photographs as well.

Q&A with Leslie Ann Coles will take place at this screening.

Melody Makers Trailer (Feb 13) from Coles Leslie Ann on Vimeo.