New York, NY (Top40 Charts) This morning, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) announced the world premiere of The Lumineers' III (pronounced "three"), a visual exploration of the band's third and latest album, on Sunday,
September 8 at 3PM in Cinema 1 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (Reitman Square: 350 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3X5).
In three chapters corresponding with the album's 10 tracks, the film explores addiction over three generations of a working-class family in the American Northeast. Initially inspired by The Lumineers' lead vocalist
Wesley Schultz's own family members, the film is directed by
Kevin Phillips (Super Dark Times) from a story by Schultz and The Lumineers' drummer and pianist Jeremiah Fraites. A Neighborhood Watch production, III starsnewcomer Anna Cordell, Nick Stahl (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, In the Bedroom) and Charlie Tahan (Ozark, Super Dark Times) as the matriarch, son and grandson of the Sparks family. All songs were written by Schultz and Fraites. Schultz, Fraites and manager Bernie Cahill serve as executive producers and Traci Carlson and Richard Peete produce.
Shot entirely in Portland, Oregon, the film's production team also includes Wyatt Garfield (director of photography), Ed Yonaitis (editor),
David Storm (production designer) and
Elizabeth Warn (costume designer).
The announcement comes in advance of the two-time GRAMMY nominated band's release of their new album III on
September 13 through Dualtone (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada and Decca Records for the rest of the world.
"This short film is about a member of my family who's battle with addiction has led her to rehab, jail, and ultimately homeless now, for over a year," Schultz explains. "We were attempting to make a short film with the album serving as our narrator. I never dreamed it would be premiered at one of the top international film festivals in the world."
Following the 44-minute film premiere, Schultz, Fraites and Phillips will participate in a Q+A session and The
Lumineers will perform.
III is the third album by The
Lumineers whose line up consists of original members and songwriters
Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, plus
Lauren Jacobson, Stelth Ulvang, Byron Isaacs and
Brandon Miller. III follows two platinum albums, the 2012 self-titled debut and the 2016 sophomore album Cleopatra. "Gloria," which Jon Pareles picked for the New York Times playlist upon release of its video, has topped the charts at three formats: Alternative, Triple A and Americana, and it follows the band's tremendous legacy at radio including 18 #1 hits on various radio formats. The band has sold out tours across the world, with over 300,000 tickets sold on 2017's
Cleopatra World Tour and ended with 27 sold out arena shows. In 2019, the band has been headlining festivals in the US and Canada, like Bonnaroo, Hangout Festival, Osheaga and Outside Lands, as well as playing worldwide festivals like Glastonbury, Tinderbox, Fuji Rock, and Splendour in the Grass. In the fall, the band will play their biggest shows ever in the UK, headlining The O2
Arena London, Manchester Arena, The SSE Hydro Glasgow and dates across
Europe including 3Arena Dublin, Le Zenith Paris and Verti
Music Hall Berlin. Remaining headline festival appearances this summer are Bumbershoot and Sea.Hear.Now.
