Monterey Pop Film on Golden State Theatre

“Monterey Pop”: Step back in time to the “Summer of Love”

The D.A. Pennebaker film from 1967 to screen

at Monterey’s Golden State Theatre on May 12, 2017

The Monterey International Pop Festival marked a special time in cultural history for three days in 1967. It was where D.A. Pennebaker filmed “Monterey Pop,” the acclaimed and ground-breaking documentary that captured the spirit and sounds of that era and propelled the careers of many rock legends. It blends music and film and the overall scene at the extraordinary event held 50 years ago at the Monterey Fairgrounds.

Now you can step back in time for a special screening of “Monterey Pop” on Friday, May 12. The Monterey County Film Commission will present the “groovy” evening at the Golden State Theatre at 417 Alvarado St. in Monterey. Wear flowers in your hair and join the fun reminiscing with others who were there at the original festival. Even those who weren’t yet born in the 60s will enjoy a glimpse of what the youth and the music of the day were like at this Monterey celebration of the “Summer of Love.”

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. with refreshments available for purchase in the lobby. The program begins at 7:15 p.m. with an introduction by the nonprofit Monterey County Film Commission. Noted rock ‘n roll photographer Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal, whose photos from the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival launched his extraordinary career, will share his memories of the festival and insights on capturing the now-famous moments—and performers--on film.

At 8 p.m. the film “Monterey Pop” will be screened. Musical icons of the 1960s who performed on the festival stage will appear on the theater’s big screen—Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, John Phillips and Mama Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas, Pete Townshend of The Who, Johnny Rivers, Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, Simon & Garfunkel, Otis Redding, Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane, Ravi Shankar, Paul Butterfield and more.

Purchase tickets at $16 (open seating) via the Golden State Theatre, www.goldenstatetheatre.com or call 831-649-1070. Proceeds of ticket sales will benefit two nonprofits—the Monterey County Film Commission and the Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation.

Event sponsors and partners include the Golden State Theatre, the Arts Council of Monterey, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, TGO Photography, the County of Monterey, and Lou Adler.

For more information contact the film commission at 831-646-0910 or [email protected].

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation is a nonprofit charitable and educational foundation empowering music-related personal development, creativity, and mental and physical health. In the spirit of the Monterey International Pop Festival which took place in 1967, and on behalf of the artists who took part, the Foundation awards grants to qualified organizations and individuals with identifiable needs in those areas

The Monterey County Film Commission is a nonprofit celebrating its 30^th anniversary year. It was created by and funded in part by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in 1987, and works to inspire and facilitate film and media production throughout Monterey County, creating positive economic impact. More than $100 million has come into local communities from on-location film production since it was established. In 2016 the HBO TV limited series, “Big Little Lies” filmed in the Monterey Peninsula and contributed nearly $2.5 million to the local economy.

Tom Gundelfinger O’Neal’s extensive career as a photographer began after attending Chicago Art Institute and University of Illinois. He developed a passion for the camera and the mobility of film capture. Along with his burgeoning talent as a photographer, O’Neal also had an instinct for timing. His photography career was launched at the iconic Monterey International Pop Festival. From there he immersed himself in the intense Los Angeles music scene that exploded in the 1960s. He found himself in great demand by several high profile rock and roll stars, and he applied both his photographic and graphic design skills in the creation of more than 72 album covers, including the acclaimed Déjà Vu cover used by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. Other notable groups he photographed were the Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Joni Mitchell, Poco, Crazy Horse, the Mamas and the Papas, B.B. King, and The Three Tenors. He developed relationships with entertainers that created opportunities for many years to follow. Two of O’Neal’s shots are part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. In the 1970s he shifted his focus to photojournalism and worked in Africa for the Peace Corps, and then in Paris and London photographing the European art scene. Ready to have a more permanent location he returned to the Monterey Peninsula. He is active in commercial photography with such clients as Rolex, The Council in Washington D.C., and Pebble Beach Company. His TGO studio and office is located in Carmel.

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