Jingle Bell Rocks!

Mitchell Kezin

2013

JINGLE BELL ROCKS! is a trippy, cinematic sleighride into the strange and sublime universe of alternative and underground Christmas music. Why, when Christmas rolls around, are we still stuck roasting tired old chestnuts with Nat King Cole? Are there any songs that embrace our modern, eclectic, conflicted, but still beloved Christmas celebration? Is there no music to inspire our slightly cranky, somewhat jaded, yet sincerely searching souls? Jingle Bell Rocks! follows Christmas music junkie Mitchell Kezin as he unveils twelve of his most cherished alternative Christmas songs. Hitting the road to uncover the stories inside the grooves, Mitchell hangs with his holiday heroes — musicians, deejays, record execs, radio hosts, composers, critics and fellow collectors — who share his passion. Featuring artists like The Flaming Lips, RunDMC, The Free Design, Low, Miles Davis & Bob Dorough, Clarence Carter, John Waters, Akim & The Teddy Vann Prod. Co., The Mighty Sparrow, A Girl Called Eddy, El Vez and many more, JINGLE BELL ROCKS! is a pilgrimage through social history and pop culture that invites us to reinvent Christmas music.

CREDITS

Written & directed by

Mitchell Kezin

Executive producers

Daneil Cross, Murray Battle, Robin Smith

Executive producer

Jeff Kline

Produced by

Mila Aung-Thwin, Bob Moore. Mitchell Kezin

Cinematography by

Mark Ellam, Van Royko, Kirk Tougas

Edited by

Ryan Mullins

Co-edited by

Omar Majeed

Special effects & animation

Fred Casia, Daren Pasemko

Produced with the financial participation of

The Harold Greenberg Fund, Canada Media Fund, Québec Crédit d'impôt cinéma et télévision Gestion Sodec, Canadian Heritage, Darby Pop Productions, Sodec, Knowledge Network, Bell Fund, TVO, SCN television,