David Byrne Concert Film Directed in 70mm by Brady Corbet
Musician David Byrne’s hometown Baltimore performances from his Who Is The Sky? tour are being adapted into a concert film directed by Brady Corbet and shot on 70mm film. The production is currently in post-production with no official release date or distributor announced yet.
The 70mm Cinematography Choice Behind the Tour
Director Brady Corbet, whose recent narrative feature The Brutalist earned widespread attention, captured the musician’s stage show using a combination of 8-perf and 15-perf 70mm film. The shoot took place over four nights at the Hippodrome in Baltimore. Byrne expressed surprise at the visual impact of the large-format footage. “When Brady told me he wanted to shoot our show in 70 millimeter (70 millimeter!) I didn’t realize what a difference it would make until I saw some frames he sent me,” Byrne said in a press release. “He was right, it really does capture the wide screen visual scope of the show. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Corbet echoed that sentiment in statements, noting that the band’s performance functions as an inclusive celebration of community and of Baltimore.
Production Infrastructure and Industry Partnerships
The project brings together an experienced team of independent film producers and music documentary backers. The film is produced by The Deep End Films alongside Pre-Code, Corbet’s production company, and Mona Fastvold, with River Road Entertainment presenting. Producers on the venture include Amit Dey and Jason Fine for The Deep End, Corbet and Maddie Browning for Pre-Code, and Byrne himself. Executive producers feature Bill Pohlad, Andrew van Wyk, Michael Overman, Meredith Sumner, Martin Sumner, Sam Fayed, and Adam Gibbs. Global distribution rights are currently handled by Byrne’s film agents at the Gersh Agency alongside The Deep End.
Tour Trajectory and Precedent in Concert Cinema
The concert film announcement arrives as Byrne wraps up the final North American stretch of his tour, which kicked off in September of last year. Upcoming dates include the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, shows in Mexico City, and a final performance scheduled for September 19 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. This project continues a lineage of cinematic adaptations for Byrne, following Jonathan Demme’s Talking Heads film Stop Making Sense and Spike Lee’s recorded version of American Utopia six years ago. The Deep End Films brings a background in music-related non-fiction features to the table, with previous credits including The Sparks Brothers, The Greatest Night in Pop, and Brian Wilson’s Long Promised Road.
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