DUSTY AND STONES intimately chronicles the remarkable ride of cousins Gazi “Dusty” Simelane and Linda “Stones” Msibi, a determined duo of struggling country singers from the tiny African Kingdom of Swaziland* who long for their big break. When they are unexpectedly invited to record their songs in Nashville and compete in a Texas battle of the bands, Dusty and Stones embark on their long-awaited first pilgrimage to the ancestral heart of country music. Over a momentous ten-day road trip through the American South, Dusty and Stones bring their music to life in a top Nashville recording studio, explore the storied locales of their favorite country songs, and excitedly engage with the culture they’ve long felt part of from afar. But this sense of kinship is abruptly thrown into question when they arrive in the small town of Jefferson, Texas to compete in the battle of the bands. There, the hostile leader of the local backing band threatens to derail the cousins’ debut American performance. As their family and friends back home wait for good news, a shell-shocked Dusty and Stones must take the stage and fight to bring home an award for Swaziland, now known as Kingdom of Eswatini. Director Jesse Rudoy stops by to talk about how he discovered Dusty and Stones on Facebook, when he decided to embark on this remarkable journey that has lasted over four years, getting to know these two cousins, and seeing how their talent, following and legacy continues to grow in the Kingdom of Eswatini and around the world.

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Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature – Atlanta Film Festival

Jury Award for Best Director – RiverRun International Film Festival

Jury Award for Best Debut Feature – Florida Film Festival

Audience Award for Best Documentary – San Luis Obispo International Film

Festival Jury Award for Best Feature – Thin Line Festival

About the filmmaker – Jesse Rudoy is a filmmaker, musician, and born-again country fan based in New York City. He was most recently an editor on Season 2 of HBO’s The Jinx. Jesse has composed original music for brands like Adidas and National Geographic and released music on the record label Let’s Play House. His work has been supported by HBO, the Gotham Film & Media Institute, Film Independent, and Durban FilmMart. Dusty & Stones is his first film.

About the filmmaker – Melissa O. Adeyemo is a Nigerian-American producer and the founder of Ominira Studios, a New York-based production company. Her first feature, Eyimofe, premiered at the 2020 Berlinale, has shown at over 20+ festivals, and was acquired by Janus Films. It is currently a part of the Criterion Collection, where Melissa is the first-ever African female producer to be featured in her own standalone spotlight interview. Eyimofe was nominated for an NAACP Award and won five African Movie Academy Awards. Dusty & Stones is her first documentary feature film. Melissa started her filmmaking career with Spike Lee’s Inside Man and Steven Spielberg’s Munich.

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Reviews:

“An often captivating crowd-pleaser that weaves contemporary politics in its backdrop…a character study rife with terrific music and presence.” – The Film Stage

“A wondrous ten-day road trip through the American south.” – DOC NYC

“One of the most compelling and joyful music documentaries of the year.” – Living Life Fearless

“A triumph of musical storytelling.” – Sonic Cinema