MVFF, ASCAP Link for Series of Live Music Shows at Sweetwater

The  regularly puts music center stage, highlightingmusic-centric documentaries and producing bombastic live shows at its and .

For the , organizers are raising the stakes.

The California Film Institute, which puts on the festival, announced a new partnership with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) to host a series of music showcases at theover three days of the event, set for Oct. 4-14.

“What we like to do with these events is find and showcase music that is appealing to movie makers,” said Sue Drew, who is ASCAP’s vice president and the producer of the MVFF showcases, dubbed Mill Valley ASCAP Music Café. “These events provide a unique opportunity for members of the film and music communities to come together, network and build relationships that might not otherwise exist. These connections will surely segue into future collaborations on any number of projects.”

Drew said organizers are in the midst of compiling the artist lineups for the showcases. She said that Pomplamoose, the Corte Madera-based duo of multi-instrumentalists Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn that rose to prominence in 2011 behind a series of Hyundai ads during the holiday season, will be performing at one of the showcases. The duo has beenlooking to connect with filmmakers.

Drew also said that organizers likely will mine Village Music: Last of the Great Record Stores, Gillian and Monroe Grisman’s documentary about the last days of John Goddard’s legendary downtown Mill Valley music shop, for artists to include. The Grismans  earlier this year to help finish the film and .

Drew acknowledged Mill Valley’s rich collection of big-name musicians.

“We’re working to get them involved,” she said. “Hopefully a few of them will come through.”

The ASCAP Music Café is not a new concept. The organization has been producing a similar series of showcases for the Sundance Film Festival for the past 14 years, and they’ve also worked with the Nashville, Tribeca and Napa Valley film festivals, among others.

The 411: The Mill Valley ASCAP Music Café showcases will run Oct. 11-13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the . A full lineup and schedule of artists will be unveiled on Sept. 12.