All Things Metal, a documentary about a family of metal workers forging their craft with their love of heavy metal, will premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival on June 6 after being acquired as part of a partnership between Rolling Stone Films and streaming platform Documentary+.
“Three brothers run the Santa Barbara Forge + Iron together, where they smith bespoke metal work,” the film’s synopsis states. “After hours, their forge turns into an impromptu film set where they make heavy metal music as an ode to their favorite genre. Their creative impulses come from a unique childhood marked by a shared disability that bonded them as brothers and as artists.”
The short film was directed by Motoki Otsuka, a transplant to Santa Barbara who happened to visit the Patterson brothers (Dan, Joel, and Andy) at their forge in an attempt to trim down exercise weights. After striking up a connection through a shared passion for heavy metal, the Patterson brothers allowed Otsuka’s camera to capture their after-hours activity and their DIY pursuit to create their most ambitious heavy metal music video.
“It’s a dream to have my first film premiere at Tribeca, which just goes to illustrate the message of this film: that art and creative self-expression are essential pursuits for everyone, no matter one’s background, age, or abilities,” Otsuka said in a statement. “These passions help us find joy, find community, and overcome life’s challenges. I’m humbled that Rolling Stone and Documentary+ saw the spirit of this film, and I couldn’t imagine better partners.”
All Things Metal was produced by Lucy Sexton, with Jenna M. Kelly, Beth Aala, Karen Jorgensen, Justin Lacob, Bryn Mooser, Gus Wenner, Jason Fine, Alexandra Dale, and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider serving as executive producers.
“All Things Metal fits perfectly into Rolling Stone’s mission to tell the amazing human stories behind the music” Jason Fine, SVP of Rolling Stone Films, said in a statement. “With its deep, thoughtful (and very loud) portrayal of the Patterson brothers’ obsessive musical vision, this film is an incredible way to launch our partnership with DOC+ to produce and distribute superb short documentary films.”
Following its Tribeca premiere, All Things Metal will head to both rollingstone.com and Documentary+.
“This feels good short truly showcases the healing power of music and the reach of documentaries to tell uplifting stories,” Justin Lacob, head of Documentary+, added in a statement. The Patterson Brothers’ inspirational and quirky adventures exemplify the type of storytelling we aim to tell through our partnership with Rolling Stone Films in turning the everyday into something extraordinary through music and art.”