Now in its 15th year, The North by Northeast Music & Film Festival and Conference (NXNE) is Canada’s #1 showcase for the best new music and music-related films. For five days and nights every June, NXNE takes over Toronto with the hottest bands, the coolest films, and the freshest music-related ideas — all within a few km of each other. Last year, 70,000 fans, artists, and industry pros flooded Toronto’s famous club district for the festival.
The music festival gives over 500 local, national and international artists the chance to showcase for thousands of fans, agents, talent buyers, media, promoters, labels and management companies at a variety of essential downtown venues. While many NXNE performers have hit the fest’s 40 + club stages on their way to major international breakthroughs, other high-profile acts join the fray to helping make NXNE essential, fresh and eclectic. Festival alumni include: Feist, Swervedriver, The Death Set, Dinosaur Jr., Land of Talk, Television, We Are Wolves, MC5, City & Colour, Red Kross, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bran Van 3000, Buzzcocks, The Soundtrack of our Lives, Peanut Butter Wolf, New York Dolls, My Morning Jacket, The Constantines, Two Hours Traffic, The Dears, The Duke Spirit, Ladyhawk, Rock Plaza Central Central, Sufjan Stevens, moneen, Jason Collett, Malajube, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, DFA 1979, Monotonix, Cormega, Sarah Harmer, Mother Mother, Hercules & Love Affair, Money Mark, Great Lake Swimmers, Kid Cudi, These New Puritans, United Steel Workers of Montreal, People in Planes, You Say Party We Say Die!, The Hidden Cameras, Ron Sexsmith, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Pere Ubu, Silversun Pickups, Statik Selectah, Justin Rutledge, Bedouin Soundclash, The Stills, Blue Rodeo, Sheek Louch, Peaches, Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains, Sunparlour Players and thousands more.
The NXNE Conference attracts over 2,300 delegates for celebrity interviews and music-biz panels that ask tough questions and dish out straight answers. Our demo-listening and mentoring sessions tell you what you need to know to keep your career going deep into the 21st century. Past guests include Police drummer Stewart Copeland, head Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten, guerrilla songwriters Steve Earle and Bruce Cockburn, Peaches, Patti Smith, Thomas Dolby and Stones’ ex-guru Andrew Loog Oldham.
At the same time, the NXNE Film Festival screens a tight program of hand-selected music movies, from concert classics to the latest indie docs from Rio to Rwanda.
All the buzz bounces back to the rest of the world via correspondents from international media like the BBC, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times, who join Canadian journalists at prime festival showcases. Over 600 accredited media covered last year’s NXNE festival.
Testimonials:
“The NXNE experience was one of the most magical events of 2007 for The Soundtrack of our lives… Toronto is always the place to be when it comes to interesting entertainment. And the people are almost as beautiful as the Swedes…’
- Ebbot, The Soundtrack of our Lives
“NXNE is an exciting combination of indie music and a film lover’s gourmet feast. We had a great time and we would love to come back.”
- Stewart Copeland, The Police
“It was great to be able to participate in NXNE, as a performer and as the celebrity interview.”
- Bruce Cockburn
“Thousands of artists showcased by NXNE directly to key music and film executives. This is where you bring your entertainment vehicle if you want serious industry attention.”
- Rob Halford, Judas Priest
“Toronto’s multicultural mix provides the perfect backdrop for NXNE’s eclectic choice of music films.”
- Don Letts, director, Rock it to Rio“North by Northeast is one of the best gatherings on music and music people I’ve ever attended.”
- Danny Goldberg, former manager of Nirvana, Hole, the Beastie Boys
