The Saddest Music in the World


1h 39m 2003

Brief Synopsis

It's 1933 in Winnipeg and the Great Depression is in full bloom. Beer Baroness Lady Port-Huntly announces a global competition to determine the saddest music in the world, and musicians from across the globe pour into town to vie for the whopping $25,000 prize. Sobbing Mexican Mariachis, dour Scotti

Film Details

Also Known As
Saddest Music in the World
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Musical
Period
Release Date
2003
Production Company
Buffalo Gal Pictures; Eastman Kodak; Ego Film Arts; Film Effects Inc.; P S Production Services, Inc.; Ps Production Services; Rhombus Media, Inc.
Distribution Company
IFC Films; Ed Distribution; Fandango; IFC Films; MGM Home Entertainment; TVA Films; Thunderbird Releasing; Zeta Films (Argentina)
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 39m

Synopsis

It's 1933 in Winnipeg and the Great Depression is in full bloom. Beer Baroness Lady Port-Huntly announces a global competition to determine the saddest music in the world, and musicians from across the globe pour into town to vie for the whopping $25,000 prize. Sobbing Mexican Mariachis, dour Scottish Bagpipers, woeful West African drummers and numerous other grief-stricken ensembles give it their all. Down-on-his-luck Broadway producer Chester Kent and his amnesiac girlfriend Narcissa return home to his native Winnipeg as the United States entry in the contest. He soon finds himself embroiled in a family reunion as treacherous and twisted as the competition itself. Ultimately, a cataclysmic fire and the machinations of fate sort matters out for the sad characters and the denizens of the saddest city on earth.

Crew

James Alexander

Driver

Lorne J Allen

Location Assistant

Ricardo Alms

Carpenter

Aaron Anderson

On-Set Dresser

Stephen Arndt

Set Decorator

Sarah Baird

Executive

Don Baker

Sound Department

William Baker

Painter

Dominique Balcaen

Camera

Dominique Balcaen

Best Boy Grip

Francois Balcaen

Key Grip

Garry Barringer

Coordinator

Lindsey Bart

Greensman

Dean Batiuk

Location Assistant

Don Benedictson

Music

Ryan Beresford

Electrician

Ryan Berzuk

Props

Sheree-rae Betker

Set Production Assistant

Alison Bile

Costumes

Emile Bisseck

Song Performer

Brenda Blake

Legal Services

Brenda Blake

Music Supervisor

Carolyn Bradshaw

Costumer

Lloyd Brandson

Scenic Artist

Miye Bromberg

Location Assistant

John Buchan

Casting

Matt Cahill

Post-Production Supervisor

Jason L Campbell

Location Assistant

Jim Campbell

Carpenter

Tyson Caron

Production Assistant

Ian Chalmers

Music

John Chalmers

Music

Matthew Chalmers

Music

John Clarke

Swing

Shane Clements

Location Assistant

Shawna Conner

Art Department

Sofia Costantini

Choreographer

Eliot Crackower

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Lisa Craik

Accounting Assistant

Greg Crawford

Grip

Sarah Jane Cundell

Location Assistant

Denys Curle

Craft Service

Gabriel Daniels

Grip

Boris Danyliuk

Driver

Matthew Davies

Production Designer

Maria De Medeiros

Music

James De Vlieger

Driver

Christopher Dedrick

Music

Sandy Dedrick

Music

Colette Desjardins

Production Accountant

Buddy G Desylva

Song

Kelly Ditz

Craft Service

Anne Dollack

Production Assistant

Michael Drabot

Gaffer

Jean Du Toit

Other

Danielle Dumesnil

Assistant Director

Paula Dunfield

Costume Supervisor

Russ Dyck

Sound

Atom Egoyan

Executive Producer

Martin Ellis

Location Assistant

Robert Enright

Other

Nadine Falk

Wardrobe

Niv Fichman

Producer

Yuval Fichman

Song Performer

Diane Forsyth

Music

David Fox

Music

Jason Fox

Camera

Kerry Fraser

Publicity

Isaac Friesen

Driver

Matthew Friesen

Sound Department

Melanie Dawn Fuerst

Location Assistant

John Furniotis

Video

Marc Gagnon

Electrician

Eileen Gano

Accounting Assistant

Greg Gardner

Graphics

Mark Gebel

Special Effects

Anastasia Geras

Production Manager

Jason Gibbs

On-Set Dresser

Jason Glesby

Security

Russell T Glesby

Security

Wayne Glesby

Security

Gisele Gordon

Photography

L Christian Goulet

Location Assistant

Gary Gray

Music Scoring Mixer

Gary Gray

Score Recording

Gary Gray

Music Scoring Mixer

Gary Gray

Score Recording

Catherine Green

Illustrator

Don Greenberg

Special Effects Assistant

Gary Grey

Music Scoring Mixer

Gary Grey

Score Recording

William Grosz

Song

Charles Gustafson

Painter

Ruben Guzman

Photography

Ruben Guzman

Creative Consultant

Beverly A Hamilton

Wardrobe

Oscar Hammerstein Ii

Song

Frances Hans

Wardrobe

Casey Harrison

Camera Trainee

Ediena Hawkes

Hair Assistant

Christopher Hawkins

Location Assistant

Jim Heber

Casting

Jason Heke

Camera Trainee

Erin Hershberg

Music Coordinator

Ronayne Higginson

Adr Editor

Ronayne Higginson

Adr/Dialogue Editor

Dallas Hollett

Wardrobe

Matt Holm

Dresser

Matthew Holm

Dresser

Joao Lutz Holowka

Electrician

Scott Hopper

Carpenter

Simon Hughes

Painter

Daniel Iron

Executive Producer

Kazuo Ishiguro

Source Material (From Original Screenplay)

Marol Jal

Song Performer

Mike Jansen

Carpenter

Scott Jaworski

Swing

Al Jolson

Song

Michael Jurkow

Construction

Brian Karn

Dailies

Jimmy Kennedy

Song

Jerome Kern

Song

Philippa King

Business Affairs

Darcy Kite

Adr

Peter Korsitke

Color Timer

Steve Kostick

Adr/Dialogue Editor

Karen Kristalovich

Wardrobe

Vince Krochak

Location Assistant

Christie Kucera

Office Production Assistant

Rick Kuchar

Caterer

Amanda Kuryk

Wardrobe

Debbie Kuzina

Props Buyer

Rtjean Labrie

Art Director

The Winnipeg Heather-belle Ladies Pipe Band

Song Performer

Phyllis Laing

Co-Producer

Darren Lannoo

Grip

Sara Lazer

Business Affairs

Martin Lee

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Sid Lieberman

Foley Artist

Paul Lukeman

Props

Kirk Lynds

Foley Recordist

John Macdonald

Foley Artist

Sheena Macdonald

Coproducer

Jennifer Machnee

Makeup Assistant

Steve Madden

Carpenter

Guy Maddin

Screenwriter

Guy Maddin

Camera

Brenda Magalas

Makeup Assistant

Stan Mak

Boom Operator

Ron Makwich

Construction

Craig Mann

Music Editor

Mini Mariachis

Song Performer

Greg Marlow

Driver

Lyn E A Marlowe

Craft Service

Wayne Marr

Security

Kelly Mccaig

Office Production Assistant

David Mccallum

Supervising Sound Editor

Mark Mckinney

Camera

Mark Mckinney

Music

Ross Mclean

Music

Meg Mcmillan

Costumes

Ross Mcmillan

Camera

Dave Meek

Construction

Joseph Meyer

Song

Kimberly Mikoluff

Production Coordinator

Alanna Mills

Script Supervisor

Luc Montpellier

Director Of Photography

Doug Morrow

Makeup

Christophe Nachtigall

Grip

Bernard Narvey

Location Manager

Alison Nutt

Construction

Richard O'brien-moran

Assistant Director

Richard O'brien-moran

Camera

Jennie O'keefe

Wardrobe

Paul Ohashi

Music

Barry Olafson

Hair

Jo Ann Oldcorn

Accountant

Janna Pakhomova

Production Designer

Antony Papetti

Location Assistant

Mike Peleshok

Assistant Director

Mike Peleshok

Camera

Rebecca Pellett

Music Arranger

Rebecca Pellett

Score Recording

Rebecca Pellett

Music Editor

Rebecca Pellett

Music

Diyah Pera

Photography

David Perich

Driver

Gordon Peterson

Assistant Art Director

Len Peterson

Camera

Len Peterson

Assistant Camera

Nicolas Phillips

Swing

Brent Poole

Carpenter

Linda Pope

Accountant

David C. Potter

Carpenter

Robert Potter

Construction

Brent Prockert

Caterer

Kari Reiger

Extras Agent/Coordinator

Peter Rohde

Photography

David Rose

Sound Designer

Sian Morris Ross

Assistant Costume Designer

Film Details

Also Known As
Saddest Music in the World
MPAA Rating
Genre
Comedy
Musical
Period
Release Date
2003
Production Company
Buffalo Gal Pictures; Eastman Kodak; Ego Film Arts; Film Effects Inc.; P S Production Services, Inc.; Ps Production Services; Rhombus Media, Inc.
Distribution Company
IFC Films; Ed Distribution; Fandango; IFC Films; MGM Home Entertainment; TVA Films; Thunderbird Releasing; Zeta Films (Argentina)
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 39m

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Voted one of the ten best Canadian films of 2003 by the Toronto Intl. Film Festival Group.

Released in United States Spring April 30, 2004

Released in United States May 7, 2004

Released in United States on Video November 16, 2004

Released in United States 2003

Released in United States January 2004

Shown at Venice International Film Festival August 27-September 6, 2003.

Released in United States Spring April 30, 2004

Released in United States May 7, 2004 (Los Angeles)

Released in United States on Video November 16, 2004

Released in United States 2003 (Shown at Venice International Film Festival August 27-September 6, 2003.)

Released in United States January 2004 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (Premiere) January 15-25, 2004.)