Here’s a quick look at some of the films being featured this year at the SNOB festival.
Blood, Sweat, and Beer
Blood, Sweat, and Beer is a feature-length documentary exploring the explosive growth of the craft beer industry and the dramatic journeys of two start-up breweries.
The film follows a trio of 23-year-olds as they struggle to start The Brew Gentlemen Beer Company in Braddock, Pa. Matt, Asa, and Brandon hope their brewery will help this once-prosperous steel town bounce back from decades of neglect, violence, and population loss.
The film also tells the emotional story of Danny Robinson (Shorebilly Brewing Co./Backshore Brewing Co.), an Ocean City, Md. boardwalk brewery owner and restaurateur whose business is threatened by an aggressive trademark lawsuit that could leave him penniless.
In addition to following these stories, the film explores the massive cultural and economic impact of craft beer in the United States. In 2013, U.S. craft beer sales rose 17.2 percent and 366 breweries opened their doors to thirsty beer-lovers.
Alexis Irvin and Chip Hiden, the co-directors/producers, filmed for 15 months in 14 states across the U.S.. The pair interviewed over 100 breweries and beer experts including: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Charlie Papazian, founder of the Brewer’s Association, Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., and many more. The trailer was recently featured on Paste magazine’s website, on CraftBeer.com, and the Weekly Pint.
“Alexis and I love beer. When we travel, the first thing we like to do in a new city is seek out a local brewpub or brewery,” Hiden said. “During our travels, we became fascinated with the food and drink revolution happening in towns all across America. We would often take brewery tours and find ourselves moved and inspired by the passion that brewers have to create fresh, delicious beer for their local communities. No longer do McDonalds and Budweiser define American food and drink culture.”
It was certainly an eye-opening experience for Irvin and Hiden.
“We had never given much thought to how much work goes into creating the beer we love to drink. Behind every delicious pint, there is a world of challenges, struggles, and triumphs – it truly is blood, sweat, and tears,” Hiden said. “It made us appreciate the difficulty of opening a brewery and the risks these entrepreneurs take, as well as the passion and skill needed to be successful.” (Showing Thursday at 7:30 p.m.)
Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back: The Quiet Riot Movie
An unlikely and surprisingly personal narrative to conquer the loss of a friend emerges from an odyssey about the rise, fall and resurrection of an 80’s metal band. The career of Frankie Banali, drummer of Quiet Riot, took a major sideswipe when his singer and best friend Kevin DuBrow died in 2007. In 2010 and at a crossroads in his life, Banali has to forge ahead and make a new life for himself and his daughter. At times both utterly tragic, and downright hilarious, the film follows him going through the emotional feat of trying to fill the void left by Kevin and get the band back together one more time.
The 109-minute character-driven documentary goes beyond the guts and glory of the common getting the band back together tale. Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back reveals an unforgettable man who uses ambition, adaptability, relentless determination and principle to navigate through a business, and a series of obstacles that are attempting to control his fate. (Showing Sunday at 3 p.m.)
