Guitar Lessons - The Movie, national release

Release date Feb. 23, 2023, 10:18 am EDT
Toronto, Canada
Guitar Lessons - The Movie, national release
Still of Ray (Corb Lund) and Leland (Kaden Noskiye), from "Guitar Lessons" (CNW Group/Extra Butter Pictures)

After multiple sold-out shows in over 70 centers across the prairies, this FRIDAY FEB 24, Guitar Lessons - The Movie, opens in 70 more cinemas nationwide.

GUITAR LESSONS is the story of a 15-year-old Metis boy (Leland) who inherits a guitar from a father he never knew and sets out to find someone to teach him to play it. CORB LUND plays an oilfield contractor (Ray) who lives alone on the edge of town. Back in the day, Ray is rumoured to have been something of a rock star. Leland starts bugging Ray for guitar lessons, and Ray tells him to buzz off. The kid persists, and eventually the guitar lessons begin; then something happens: a 15-year-old Metis boy and a 50-year-old oilfield contractor, form a special bond and learn to grow up - together - over guitar lessons.

"It's a thoughtful film peppered with characters worthy of exploration, from writer-director Aaron James. 4 kernels of popcorn out of 5."

Todd James, Global TV

"Corb is a natural… You get some really wild people in this town... yes, it's really worth seeing."

Louis B. Hobson, CTV

No distributor, no festivals. Made-by-hand and financed by the community of High Level, Alberta. Shot in 18 days. Edited on a laptop. Premiered at the Flamingo Lounge in High Level. Has now had week-long runs in over 70 cinemas across the West. Cineplex says of Canadian films that were released in 2022, Guitar Lessons is number one at the box office. As such they have booked it this weekend coast-to-coast from St. John's to Victoria. (Now at $100,000 Box Office and growing).

Aaron James Sorensen (me) is a musician who made a movie in 2004 called Hank Williams First Nation. Since then, he made half a dozen more, mostly in the USA. This was a pandemic project that has taken on a life of its own. (I am now not only a writer and director and producer, I am a distributor apparently too).

It's a nice story, a community made film. It's a beautiful film made by a lot of beautiful small-town people. Very proud of it. About 20% of the film is in Cree.


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Distribution channels: Movies
  • Extra Butter Pictures
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