Banger Films’ Judas Priest documentary, The Ballad Of Judas Priest, premiered at Berlinale – Berlin International Film Festival in February. The documentary is currently making its North American premiere at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, running from April 23 to May 3. Head to hotdocs.ca for additional information.
Co-directed by documentary filmmaker Sam Dunn and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello in his directorial debut, the documentary celebrates the legendary band’s lasting impact on music and culture with their influence reaching far beyond metal. Featuring unforgettable anthems and pop culture staples like “Breaking the Law” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” The Ballad of Judas Priest will capture the passion, resilience and enduring legacy of a band whose music and story continue to inspire generations.
NOW Toronto is reporting that in a Q&A after the screening, Sam Dunn revealed some other tidbits that Priest fans might want to know. In the following excerpt, he talks about the Ozzy Osbourne interview in the doc:
“Really emotional,” says Dunn. “I’d never met Ozzy until this interview, and we’d interviewed all the other original members of Black Sabbath for other films that we’ve done. So, came together. It was the year before. I can’t put my finger on the specific time, but really emotional, especially what he says about Parkinson’s, telling Glenn that he needs to keep fighting, and how tragic it is that Ozzy’s the one that’s no longer with us. That’s become a very emotional part of the film to watch for me. And the fact that he’s telling Glenn to keep fighting, and he’s not here. But, what a treat to actually have him there. He’s so funny, and he brings a lot of laughs and a lot of heart to the film. I’m just grateful that he’s there to tell the story.”
Read more at NOW Toronto.
Rising from humble, working-class roots in Birmingham, UK, to become global rock legends, Judas Priest didn’t just help shape heavy metal culture – they forged it. Widely credited as being one of the pioneers of the heavy metal genre in the 1970s, Judas Priest has sold more than 50 million records and released 19 studio albums for their legion of dedicated fans around the world. In 2022, they were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. With their 2024 album Invincible Shield, the band became the first heavy metal band to release studio albums 50 years apart. The album drew widespread acclaim, receiving a Grammy nomination for “Best Metal Performance.”
Judas Priest said, “We have lived and breathed metal for over five decades, and finally in this documentary we are summoning our congregation to officially witness our lives uncensored, in a never-before-seen way…the cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!”
“While some may know Judas Priest for their huge hits that have shaped the heavy metal genre, there is so much more to their story,” co-directors Morello and Dunn said. “Tracing their incredible 50-year journey, this film will capture how Judas Priest both defined the sound and look of metal, but also made it a more inclusive place along the way. We are grateful to the band for allowing us such intimate, unfiltered access to their lives and look forward to bringing this film to the metal masses around the world.”
The documentary is a production of Banger Films and directed by Sam Dunn and Tom Morello. Producers include Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. It is executive produced by Tom Morello, Rick Krim, Sheila Stepanek, and Jayne Andrews. Tom Mackay, Krista Wegener and Abby Davis serve as executive producers for Sony Music Vision. Sylvia Rhone is executive producer for Epic Records. The film is presented and distributed by Sony Music Vision.
Make sure you are following BraveWords Records on YouTube so you don’t miss any future videos by Alcatrazz, Bangalore Choir, Voices of Extreme, Crimson Glory.
Subscribe https://youtube.com/@BravewordsRecords?sub_confirmation=1
