VIA PRESS RELEASE | Utopia has acquired the North American rights to Suzi Q, the official documentary that charts the 54-year career of the pioneering female rockstar who burst onto the rock n roll scene in the ’70s, set for a one-night-only theatrical event release nationwide on July 1 and a DVD & Digital release on July 3.
Suzi Q is the definitive, unexpurgated story of the girl from Detroit City who redefined the role and image of women in rock’n’roll, when she broke through around the world in 1973. Singer, songwriter, bass player, author, actress, radio presenter, poet, still touring and recording music – there is only one Suzi Q. From Australian filmmakers Liam Firmager and Tait Brady, Suzi Q features Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, Deborah Harry (Blondie), Joan Jett, Cherie Currie (The Runaways), Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads), Donita Sparks (L7), Henry Winkler (Happy Days), Kathy Valentine (The GoGo’s), KT Tunstall, members of the Quatro family, and many more.
Suzi Q positions Suzi as the trailblazer and inspiration for a generation of women who were to follow after her in the next decade, but whose trailblazing status was not sufficiently recognised by the music industry and contemporary audiences, especially in North America.
Suzi Q reminds contemporary audiences of her pioneering influence, white-hot talent and string of incandescent rock hits, like “Can the Can,” “48 Crash,” and “Daytona Demon” that were the vehicle for her explosion of gender stereotypes in rock n roll, rewriting the rule book for the expected image of women in rock music and reaching millions of people worldwide in the process.
The film opened in theaters in the UK and Australia in October 2019 and will also have its North American premiere at the Sonoma International Film Festival on March 29, with a special appearance by Suzi Quatro. The film will also screen at the Cleveland International Film Festival on April 5, with additional festival screenings to be announced, before opening in theaters nationwide on July 1 and releasing on DVD & Digital on July 3.
Producer Tait Brady says: “Over the 4+ years making the film, the idea that Suzi’s status had been forgotten in the USA slowly dawned on us—because in the rest of the world everyone knows that she is the first and one of the most important trailblazers in rock’n’roll! And that then influenced the direction the film took—it became our mission to redress history. Getting the film out to American audiences ultimately became our major goal, so Liam and I are thrilled that Utopia are taking it out in the US. In the UK, Europe and Australia, the film is a celebration—for North America the film should play like a rediscovery story.”
Utopia, the sales and distribution company co-founded by Robert Schwartzman, recently launched with the fall release of American Dharma and winter release of Mickey and the Bear. Robert Schwartzman says: “We’re honored to play a part in sharing Suzi Q’s legendary story. She is a bold voice in rock ‘n’ roll and a trailblazing icon who remains an inspiration to those who continue to follow in her footsteps.”
