2014 Northside Festival

The sixth annual Northside Festival is going on right now in McCarren Park and other venues around Brooklyn. The festival, which is divided into different days of music, movies, and innovation, offer New Yorkers a chance to see some upcoming bands and films that are soon to be globally (or at least nationally) recognized. The Northside Media Group, which also covers The L Magazine and Brooklyn Magazine, started the festival out of the hopes to bring together people with their favorite bands, instead of hauling over to a giant stadium. That’s why events are happening all over the borough from the park to Glasslands to the Music Hall of Williamsburg- and anything in between.

Even better to report is the fact that VH1 is teaming up with Northside at The Knitting Factory to showcase some bands to fans and even have panels and screen their VH1 Rocks Docs at Nitehawk Theater. The festival itself is divided by music (June 12-15), innovation (June 12-13) and film (June 16-19).

The innovation line up brought some great speakers from Rent the Runway, Vimeo, and anything in between. There were people from Etsy, Bonobos, Curbed, Zady, and more. There was even a Northside Trade Show that involved a countless number of exhibitors from places like Ghostery, NYCEDC, Gilt Groupe, The End Records, and more, all in trying to share the awesome combination of tech and culture. You can see the full list of attendees here.

As for film, there will be a number of well recognized jurors judging what films will be part of the Northside DIY Film Competition. They include Joana Vicente (known for Coffee and Cigarettes), Parker Posey (from Dazed and Confused), Ira Sachs (director of Love is Strange), Matthew Grady (founder of Factory 25), and Kentucker Audley (runs NoBudge Films). The winners of the competition get a bunch of prizes, like DCTV filmmaker services, a membership to the Made in NY Media Center, a year membership to IFP, and a five-day pass to the Filmmaker Conference at Independent Film Week. That, money, and bragging rights. Check out the film line up.

As for the music line-up, there’s plenty to see as there are over 240 music acts signed up for the show. Anyone from Thee Oh Sees to The War on Drugs to Odonis Odonis to Eleanor Friedberger, and anything in between, will be playing at the festival. Get your passes now since it’s sure to sell out quickly. You can check out the rest of the list here.

The pictures are of the huge tent they put up in McCarren Park, as well as some of the people from innovation week showcasing their businesses and ideas. Northside partnered with BAMcinemaFest, BOMB Magazine, IFC Films, IFP, indieWIRE, Shooting People, and more to help bring together the filmmakers and bands with some film organizations and critics.

The festival is on until the 19^th, so go now and catch some great music or a show. In fact, there’s going to be a huge 6000 person limit free show at McCarren Park today and tomorrow so get there early so you can stay in.