Mods & Rockers Film Festival to mark 40th anniversary of Isle of Wight concert

American Cinematheque’s annual Mods & Rockers Film Festival will kick off later this month with a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the famed 1970 Isle of Wight Festival that will include appearances by former members of the Doors, the Moody Blues, Jethro Tull and Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Those bands performed at the Isle of Wight concert, along with the Who, Joni Mitchell, Donovan, John Sebastian and Jimi Hendrix, who died 18 days later. They are seen in the documentary “Message to Love,” which will screen at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on Aug. 26, launching the four-day Mods & Rockers festival.

The Isle of Wight performances by the Who and Hendrix will be the focus of the third night of the festival, Aug. 28. A 1970 concert film of the Moody Blues and a new documentary about the history of the Mellotron, featuring interviews with musicians such as Brian Wilson and Rod Argent, will be shown Aug. 27. Both those events are at the Egyptian.

The final night of the festival, Aug. 29, will feature screenings at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica of “Leonard Cohen Live,” “The Other Side of the Mirror” (about Bob Dylan’s early career) and “Festival,” highlighting artists who appeared at the Newport Folk Festival between 1962 and 1965.

Tickets and additional information: https://www.modsandrockers.com.