In the summer of 1970, a rock festival travelled across Canada by luxury train, stopping in Toronto, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Lured by the promise of a mobile party, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, The Band, Buddy Guy, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Ian & Sylvia signed on to the tour for a fraction of their usual fees. The performances and the stars' antics on the train were both filmed, only to be locked away for 25 years. The colorful and thrilling results, seen here for the first time, capture these artists at their loosest and most natural. Fans of Joplin and the Dead will find reason to rejoice in the playful footage of these icons enjoying each other's company on the train, as well as their blistering stage performances. The events are also put into context through new interviews with the surviving musicians, including Buddy Guy, the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir, and Mickey Hart, who speak frankly and humorously about the tour. Once buried in reputation by the era's other historic concert events such as Woodstock, or the Rolling Stones at Altamont--FESTIVAL EXPRESS is proof that a monumental live event in '60s rock has been long overlooked.

Theatrical Release: JULY 23, 2004 (LIMITED)

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Surround 5.1 - English
Dolby Surround Stereo 2.0 - English
Additional Release Material:
Trailers: Original Theatrical Trailer
DVD-ROM Features:

Distributor Notes: Festival Express is a rousing record of a little-known, but monumental, moment in rock n' roll history, starring such music legends as Janis Joplin, The Band, and the Grateful Dead. Set in 1970, Festival Express was a multi-band, multi-day extravaganza that captured the spirit and imagination of a generation and a nation. What made it unique was that it was portable; for five days, the bands and performers lived, slept, rehearsed and did countless unmentionable things aboard a customized train that traveled from Toronto, to Calgary, to Winnipeg, with each stop culminating in a mega-concert. The entire experience, both off-stage and on, was filmed but the extensive footage remained locked away -- until now. A momentous achievement in rock film archeology, Festival Express combines this long-lost material with contemporary interviews nearly 35 years after it was first filmed.

Source: Warner Home Video

 Grateful Dead: 
Janis Joplin: American Rock Singer
 Band: 
 Ian & Sylvia: Musicians, FESTIVAL EXPRESS (2004)
Buddy Guy: Blues Music Performer
 Flying Burrito Brothers: 
 Sha Na Na: New York City-based rock and roll/comedy band
 Delaney & Bonnie: Musicians, FESTIVAL EXPRESS (2004)

Bob Smeaton: Director, THE BAND (1997)

John Trapman: Producer, FESTIVAL EXPRESS (2004)

"FESTIVAL EXPRESS is most memorable for the charismatic presence of Joplin and Garcia..."
"[A] delicious pop time capsule full of small moments and grand rock 'n' roll gestures."
"FESTIVAL EXPRESS is a likable time capsule....The best reason to see the movie is Janis Joplin, whose volcanic stage presence erupts right out of her dazed instability."
"[T]hose fortunate enough to have been on this travelling rock'n'roll circus knew even then they'd never see its like again."
"[T]he main focus is the gigs, with uninterrupted performances form the likes of the Grateful Dad, the band and Janis Joplin..."