Official Selection of the 2009 South By Southwest Film Festival and 2008 Montreal World Film Festival, Died Young, Stayed Pretty is a candid look at the underground indie-rock poster subculture in North America that was reborn, post-Punk, with the launch of groupie Clayton Hayes' website Gigposters.com. The documentary reveals a new breed of subculturists who've set out to destroy the mainstream through their controversial and intensely visceral design work.

Under the guise of advertising for rock shows, these unheralded masters of the silkscreen and Xerox machine carry on public discourses that range from hot button political issues to lewd, inside jokes. Stealing pieces from America's disposable culture, these graphic artists pervert classic references into beautiful obscenities that they slap in the face of polite society while safely treading under the radar.

Director Eileen Yaghoobian gives an intimate look at a few of the giants of the subculture, some who go broke to maintain their creative workshops while others have found commercial success. Featuring interviews with Tom Hazelmyer, Art Chantry, Brian Chippendale, the Ames Brothers, Jeff Kleinsmith, Jay Ryan, Print Mafia, and Rob Jones, among others, outside their own circle, they are virtually unknown, but within their ranks they are bareknuckle brawlers. Yaghoobian sneaks her lens into the lives of these self-professed radicals to discover where the real power lies, if any remains.

With original music by Mark Greenberg and visual effects by Pete Dionne, Died Young, Stayed Pretty features posters for Radiohead, White Stripes, Arcade Fire, The Flaming Lips, The Melvins, Nick Cave, Broken Social Scene, Ween and legends like Bob Dylan and Marianne Faithful.

Died Young, Stayed Pretty—A Movie About Rock Posters!
Screening and Q&A Discussion
September 30, 2009
Music Box Theatre

7:20pm: Screening with introduction by Director, Eileen Yaghoobian
Film followed by a Q&A panel of cast and crew:
Eileen Yaghoobian, Director
Mark Greenberg, Music Composer
Nick Butcher and Mat Daly, Poster Artists from Sonnenzimmer
Keith Herzik, Poster Artist

Sponsored by AIGA Chicago and Music Box Theatre the Died Young, Stayed Pretty Screening and Q&A Discussion is open to the general public. Tickets are $15.00 and can be purchased at the Music Box Theatre box office before the screening. The box office accepts cash, Visa and MasterCard.
This event is sponsored by AIGA Chicago and Music Box Theatre.