Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story premieres in March at SXSW and begins US release on May 13, 2022. The film is directed by Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern and will first screen at SXSW on Wednesday, March 16 at 8pm at the Paramount Theatre. A Q&A session with Marshall, Jazz Fest producer Quint Davis, and musician Dwayne Dopsie will follow. 

The film is promoted as a soulful and heartfelt celebration of 50 years of the funky and fabulous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that invites you to bliss out on New Orleans' unique culture, featuring Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Pitbull, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, Aaron Neville, Earth, Wind & Fire, Irma Thomas, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indians and many others.

Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story weaves together live performances and interviews from the 50th anniversary of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the signature annual music and cultural event of the city with hundreds of thousands of attendees each year. Jazz Fest celebrates the music, food, people, arts & crafts, and culture of all of Louisiana since 1970, and is an essential showcase of the rich heritage of the region. The film, shot in IMAX at the 2019 Fest, features local music heroes joined on 14 stages by some of the biggest names in the music industry, and a wealth of archival documentary footage from the past half century. Among the 50 plus featured performers are Jimmy Buffett, Pitbull, Bruce Springsteen, Katy Perry, Aaron Neville, The Marsalis Family, Earth, Wind & Fire, Irma Thomas, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Samantha Fish, Herbie Hancock, Al Green, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Mardi Gras Indians, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, Tom Jones, Gary Clark, Jr., and many others. Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story not only captures the Festival in all of its beauty and glory, but also delves deep into the rich culture of The Big Easy.