Interview by Paul Salfen
BASTARDS OF SOUL, the feature directorial debut from Paul Levatino, has its homecoming Texas Premiere with a Q&A at the Dallas International Film Festival (DIFF), following its sold-out World Premiere at the Sun Valley Film Festival last month.
Formed by a collective of veteran Dallas musicians, including bassist Danny Balis, keyboardist Chad Stockslager, guitarist Chris Holt, and drummer Matt Trimble, soul/R&B group Bastards of Soul quickly emerged as a local favorite, led by powerhouse first-time frontman Chadwick Murray. They generated buzz at break-neck speed, signed with Dallas-based Eastwood Music Group, recorded and released their 2021 debut Spinnin’, and started playing packed theater shows as well as performing with artists such as The Black Pumas and Kamasi Washington.
However, the band would only be able to record roughly 20 more songs before losing Murray to an unexpected illness. Subsequently, Bastards of Soul released Corners in spring 2022, six months after Murray’s passing, and their third and final album Give It Right Back in November 2023. The first single from that record, “This Love (feat. Keite Young),” has a strong presence in the film, while the second single, “You Let Me Down Again,” is accompanied by an official video (see below) featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the studio sessions culled from the documentary, showcasing the band’s final days together before Murray’s passing.
BASTARDS OF SOUL
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Running Time: 1:21:53
Language: English
Director/Producer: Paul Levatino
Executive Producer: Suzy Batiz, Luke Sardello, Jeff “Skin” Wade
Cinematographer/Editor: Zack Tzourtzouklis
Cinematographer: Jeremy Word
Motion Graphics & Additional Editing: Justin Foia
Sound Designer: T.J. Callaway, MPSE
Original Music by Bastards of Soul
Additional Music Scoring by Max Hartman
ABOUT PAUL LEVATINO: With 27 years of experience in content production and creative direction across various mediums, Paul Levatino has cultivated a rich storytelling expertise.
During his decade-long role as General Manager at Badu World / Control FreaQ Records, he collaborated with multi-platinum-selling, four-time GRAMMY® award-winning artist Erykah Badu’s, leaving an indelible mark as a producer of projects like the acclaimed music video “Honey,” recognized for Best Direction at the BET, MTV, and VH1 Video Awards, and earning a GRAMMY® Award nomination in 2008.
In 2020, Paul played a pivotal part in the launch of EarthxTV as the Senior Vice President of Creative and Production. Working with environmental heroes like Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium, Jane Goodall, Robert Redford, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Jane Fonda, and Captain Paul Watson, Levatino directed and produced hundreds of hours of content at EarthxTV. His contributions facilitated the platform’s growth into a global TV network by delivering hundreds of hours of award-winning environmental content.
Paul Levatino serves as General Manager / Executive Producer and trusted collaborator to Suzy Batiz, a Forbes’ Richest Self-Made Woman and founder of Poo~Pourri. As Executive Producer for the company, he secured one gold and two platinum Hermes Creative Awards for the ~Pourri Flip the Funk Campaign in 2022.
Paul is now embarking on a new journey, making his feature documentary directorial debut with “BASTARDS OF SOUL.” This compelling documentary captures the explosive rise of a Texas music band, offering a poignant narrative at the crossroads of stardom and tragedy.
Paul Levatino remains at the forefront of the entertainment industry, consistently delivering innovative and captivating content across diverse media platforms.
