opening and closing films for Philadelphia’s first festival solely dedicated to movies about music are ready to rock! WXPN, the nationally-recognized leader in Triple A (Adult Album Alternative) music and noncommercial radio service of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Film Society today announced that Big Easy Express will open the XPN Music Film Festival on Thursday, April 26. The film documents Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Old Crow Medicine Show and Mumford & Sons’ 2011 tour. Under African Skies is a documentary film that follows Paul Simon’s journey back to South Africa to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Graceland. It will close the festival on Sunday, April 29.

XPN MUSIC FILM FESTIVAL OPENING & CLOSING FILMS

Big Easy Express: Opening Film
Director: Emmett Malloy, 2012
General Information: A throwback to the great music tours of yesteryear, BIG EASY EXPRESS documents the adventurous journey of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Old Crow Medicine Show and Mumford & Sons as they set out by train from Oakland to New Orleans for their 2011 “tour of dreams.”

Under African Skies: Closing Film
Director: Joe Berlinger, 2012
General Information: Filmmaker and Philadelphia Film Festival alum Joe Berlinger's enthralling UNDER AFRICAN SKIES chronicles Paul Simon's return to South Africa to perform a reunion concert in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Graceland, while also revisiting the tremendous success and criticism that accompanied the initial release of this seminal album.

XPN MUSIC FILM FESTIVAL ADDITIONAL FILMS

Girl Walk // All Day: Friday, April 27 at 9 p.m.
Director: Jacob Krupnick, 2011
General Information: GIRL WALK //ALL DAY is a feature-length dance music video and tale of urban exploration that follows three dancers across New York City. The screening of this film will take place at World Cafe Live upstairs. Attendees should bring their dancing shoes because a dance party will accompany the film!

Rocky Horror Picture Show: Saturday, April 28 at 12:00 a.m. (Midnight)
Director: Jim Sharman, 1975
General Information: Join us at the Theater of the Living Arts for a special midnight screening of the ultimate cult classic, a musical adventure about a recently engaged couple that stumble into a bizarre world of sex, experiments and rock and roll when their car breaks down near a mysterious mansion.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 26
• 8 p.m. Big Easy Express at the Annenberg Center, Harold L. Zellerbach Theatre

Friday, April 27
• 5:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. Charles Bradley: Soul of America + Short Film: Minor/Major: The TV on the Radio Tour Documentary at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 5:20 p.m. California Solo at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 7:20 p.m. Sound of Noise at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 7:25 p.m. Paul Williams Still Alive at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 9:00 p.m. Girl Walk // All Day at World Cafe Live Upstairs
• 9:35 p.m. Hi My Name is Ryan at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 9:40 p.m. No Room for Rockstars at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre

Saturday, April 28
• 1:00 p.m. Of All the Things at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 1:10 p.m. Surrogate Valentine at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 3:05 p.m. Hi My Name is Ryan at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 3:10 p.m. Daylight Savings at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 5:00 p.m. The Wrecking Crew at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 5:25 p.m. Tonight You’re Mine at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 7:15 p.m. I Am Not A Hipster at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 7:20 p.m. Charles Bradley: Soul of America + Short Film: Minor/Major: The TV on the Radio Tour Documentary at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 9:30 p.m. Uprising: Hip Hop & the LA Riots + Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 9:45 p.m. Sound of Noise at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• Midnight Rocky Horror Picture Show at The Theater of the Living Arts

Sunday, April 29
• 12:50 p.m. The Wrecking Crew at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 1:00 p.m. I Am Not A Hipster at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 3:15 p.m. California Solo at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 3:20 p.m. Of All the Things at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 5:15 p.m. Of Love, Death and Beyond: Exploring Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony at the Annenberg Center, Harold Prince Theatre
• 5:30 p.m. Uprising: Hip Hop & The LA Riots + Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke at the Annenberg Center, Montgomery Theatre
• 7:30 p.m. Under African Skies at the Annenberg Center, Harold L. Zellerbach Theatre

The full schedule can also be found online here. Tickets for the festival go on sale on Monday, April 9. Discounted tickets will be available to students, WXPN and Philadelphia Film Society members.

The festival is sponsored by the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and the University of Pennsylvania. For more information about WXPN, please visit http://xpn.org. For more information about the XPN Music Film Festival, please visit http://xpn.org/concerts-events/music-filmfest-2012. For more information about the Philadelphia Film Society, please visit www.filmadelphia.org.