Alison Tavel’s RESYNATOR Kicks Off Limited Theatrical Run

The Los Angeles music world showed up in force for the LA Premiere of writer/director Alison Tavel’s debut feature film RESYNATOR at the Beverly Hills Fine Arts Theatre. The film had its World Premiere at SXSW 2024, where it won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature, and recently won the Grand Jury Prize for the International Competition at its Asian Premiere at the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival.

The evening was hosted by Grammy© Award-winning, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inducted songwriter and producer Jimmy Jam, moderated by SiriusXM DJ and music supervisor Kat Corbett, and DJ’d by Money Mark, Tara Busch from I Speak Machine, and the original resurrected Resynator.

Guests included Alison Tavel, Mark Ronson, executive producer Rick Krim, producers Jon Lullo and Brendan Walter, and The Forge CEO Mark Sayre. The festive evening was a who’s who of LA music professionals such as Grace Potter, songwriter Diane Warren, Jackson Browne, Jim James (My Morning Jacket),  Jon Natchez (The War on Drugs saxophonist and keyboardist), Eliza Jones (The War on Drugs touring member), Patty Guggenheim (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law actress), Matt Pinfield (DJ), Sacha Gervasi (Hitchcock director), Bo Koster (My Morning Jacket keyboardist), Scott Thurston (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Host of The New Guy Show on @siriusxm TP Radio), Matt Musty (Train drummer), Jerry Becker (Train keyboardist) and Fred Armisen.

“Go Forth and RESYNATE” – Don Tavel, 1980

Inventor Don Tavel died suddenly when his daughter was just ten weeks old. Growing up surrounded by mythical stories of her “genius” father, Alison’s life is consequently absent from any meaningful connection to him. Not until she is on tour with musician Grace Potter is the seed planted to discover what he invented. 

RESYNATOR is a narrative documentary that begins as a curious resurrection project of her dad’s Resynator, but soon launches into an insatiable, globe-trotting quest aided by estranged family, fellow inventors and celebrated musicians Grace Potter, Peter Gabriel, Fred Armisen, Mark Ronson, Jimmy Jam, Gotye, Jon Anderson and more. In doing so, Alison discovers Don’s brilliance herself, but also learns of unsettling truths that don’t align with her long-held perception of him, revealing a vulnerable man. Not only can she finally relate to him on a human level, but their parallel Resynator journeys reveal an indomitable bond between them.

‘This Is Not the Story I Was Trying to Tell’ – Allison Tavel

Tavel has directed numerous short films and music videos for the Tom Petty Estate, including Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Fillmore House Band 1997, Tom Petty’s Drivin’ Down To Georgia, and Wildflowers: Come Find All The Rest. She was also a producer on the Cameron Crowe directed feature Heartbreakers Beach Party, the archival producer for the feature documentary Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free and serves as the Estate’s sole archivist. Tavel has curated exhibits at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Museum in this role and was previously a touring crew member and studio support for musicians Grace Potter, Beck, and Jenny Lewis.

International sales agency and film distributors, The Forge recently acquired worldwide distribution rights to “Resynator” and the North American rights Guan Hu’s Cannes award winner “Black Dog.” The Forge recently released another music documentary, BOOM: A FILM ABOUT THE SONICS, which premiered theatrically on September 12. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

For information on how you can see the film follow RESYNATOR on Instagram

*A very special thanks to Henry Eshelman and Saeli Eshelman at Platform Media Group (PMG) 

**Updated November 20, 2024