{"id":392799,"date":"2026-07-31T00:43:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T00:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/392799\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T00:43:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T00:43:25","slug":"sound-unseen-austin-returns-with-music-documentaries-screenings-and-live-performances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/392799\/","title":{"rendered":"Sound Unseen Austin returns with music documentaries, screenings and live performances"},"content":{"rendered":"

Created for film lovers, built for music fans, and bringing together the best of both worlds, Sound Unseen Austin Film and Music Festival<\/a> is returning to AFS Cinema next weekend with a lineup celebrating the powerful connection between music and storytelling.<\/p>\n

Becky Arreaga, Sound Unseen Austin Festival Director,<\/a> joined Sierra Waggoner on We Are Austin to share why this festival has become a must-see event for anyone who loves music, movies, and discovering the stories behind the artists who shape culture.<\/p>\n

\"Becky<\/p>\n

Becky Arreaga, Sound Unseen Austin Festival Director, joined Sierra Waggoner on We Are Austin to share why this festival has become a must-see event for anyone who loves music, movies, and discovering the stories behind the artists who shape culture.<\/p>\n

Sound Unseen began 26 years ago as an iconic festival in Minneapolis before expanding to Austin six years ago. Since then, the festival has continued to grow in a city known worldwide for its music scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the Sound Unseen is basically the film festival for music fans,\u201d Arreaga said. \u201cIf you love music, this is your festival. You don’t have to be a film aficionado. You just gotta love music.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u201cThis<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year’s lineup has something really for everyone,\u201d Arreaga said. \u201cEvery generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Austin being the Live Music Capital of the World and a growing hub for filmmakers, Arreaga says the city was the perfect place for Sound Unseen to thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year’s lineup has something really for everyone,\u201d Arreaga said. \u201cEvery generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celebrating Music Legends And Austin Stories<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s festival kicks off with a special anniversary screening of The Chicks: Shut Up & Sing, celebrating its 20th anniversary. The screening will feature Academy Award winning director Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck joining the festival for the celebration.<\/p>\n

\"{p}The<\/p>\n

The festival lineup also highlights stories from a variety of musical eras, including films about legendary artists, Austin\u2019s own music history, and the communities that helped shape different genres.<\/p>\n

Arreaga says the documentary holds a special place in her own life as a music fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was my very first music documentary that I saw 20 years ago,\u201d she said. \u201cThis film left such an impact on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s festival kicks off with a special anniversary screening of The Chicks: Shut Up & Sing, celebrating its 20th anniversary. The screening will feature Academy Award winning director Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck joining the festival for the celebration.<\/p>\n

The festival lineup also highlights stories from a variety of musical eras, including films about legendary artists, Austin\u2019s own music history, and the communities that helped shape different genres.<\/p>\n

Featured films include stories about Eddie Cochran, Austin\u2019s influential punk scene, and Sarah Bareilles\u2019 new film Good Grief, which recently screened at Tribeca.<\/p>\n

\"CourtesySupporting Local Filmmakers And Music Creators<\/p>\n

The festival\u2019s shorts program gives local filmmakers and music video creators the opportunity to see their work celebrated on the big screen.<\/p>\n

Arreaga says Sound Unseen is proud to showcase Austin talent while giving audiences a new way to experience music videos and short films.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also get to preview music videos,\u201d Arreaga said. \u201cTo be able to see it on a giant big screen with a thrilled and enthused audience, I mean, that’s when I get chills.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s shorts lineup includes three Austin filmmakers, highlighting the city\u2019s growing creative community.<\/p>\n

Where Music And Film Meet<\/p>\n

For Arreaga, the magic of Sound Unseen comes from bringing two major parts of Austin\u2019s identity together.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a music town and we’re a film town,\u201d she said. \u201cOur festival gets to bring them both in the room, make connections, build community. It’s pretty magical.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"{p}\u201cWe<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a music town and we’re a film town,\u201d she said. \u201cOur festival gets to bring them both in the room, make connections, build community. It’s pretty magical.\u201d<\/p>\n

The festival is designed for everyone, whether they are longtime film lovers, dedicated music fans, or simply looking for a new experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is for anyone who loves music, who loves going to have that experience of being in community and enjoying something,\u201d Arreaga said.<\/p>\n

Sound Unseen Austin Film and Music Festival<\/a> runs next weekend at AFS Cinema. For tickets, schedules, and more information, visit SoundUnseenAustin.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Sound<\/p>\n

Sound Unseen Austin Film and Music Festival runs next weekend at AFS Cinema. For tickets, schedules, and more information, visit SoundUnseenAustin.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Created for film lovers, built for music fans, and bringing together the best of both worlds, Sound Unseen…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":392800,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133],"class_list":["post-392799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=392799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/392799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/392800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=392799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=392799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=392799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}