The Instrument
directed by Zac Manuel
An aging jazz singer, grappling with the deterioration of his voice and seeking to reconcile the mysterious roots of his family, embarks on a journey with his filmmaker son to use artificial intelligence to resurrect the voice of his late father—a mesmerizing vocalist he regrets never recording.
PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS
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Listen to Phillip Manuel’s music on Spotify
Meet the Team
Darcy McKinnon
Consulting Producer
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Darcy McKinnon is a documentary filmmaker based in New Orleans whose work focuses on the American South and the Caribbean. Recently released projects include A KING LIKE ME and ROLEPLAY (SXSW, 2024), COMMUTED (PBS, 2024), ALGIERS, AMERICA (Hulu, 2023), UNDER G-D (Sundance 2023), LOOK AT ME! XXXTENTACION (SXSW, Hulu, 2022) and THE NEUTRAL GROUND (Tribeca, POV, 2021). Current projects in production include Jason Fitzroy Jeffers’s THE FIRST PLANTATION, Abe Felix’s TURNAROUND, CJ Hunt’s UNLEARNED, Nicole Craine’s KINFOLK and Zac Manuel’s THE INSTRUMENT. McKinnon’s work has been seen on World Channel, AfroPop, POV, Reel South, LPB and Hulu and has screened at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, CPH:DOX and more. She is an alum of the Impact Partners Producing Fellowship and the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellowship and is a recipient of American Documentary’s Creative Visionary Award.
Holly Stanton
Executive Producer
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Holly Stanton is a producer and executive specializing in boundary-pushing narrative, documentary, and fine art projects. Prior to joining Antigravity Academy as Head of Development, Holly was a film and TV agent at CAA where she packaged and sold documentaries and represented non-fiction filmmakers and production companies. She previously led creative operations at Participant Media (Roma, All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, A Fantastic Woman), working across documentary and narrative departments and consulting on art-related films and projects. Before her work in the film industry, Holly spent many years in contemporary art museums and galleries, working with artists to mount exhibitions worldwide and opening pop-up galleries and food concepts in unlikely spaces. She has devoted her career to uplifting emerging filmmakers and artists and supporting novel forms of storytelling.
Zac Manuel
Director, Director of Photography, Producer
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Zac Manuel is a director and cinematographer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Zac’s work in documentary draws from complex legacies of Southern identity, with particular interest in the impacts of history and inheritance on Black communities. Zac’s cinematography credits include TIME (2021), Academy Award nominee for Best Feature Documentary, BUCKJUMPING (2018) and DESCENDANT (2022), which was released by Netflix. His directing credits include THIS BODY, released on PBS, NONSTOP, which was acquired by the Criterion Channel in 2022, and LIL NAS X: LONG LIVE MONTERO, eponymous documentary of the international pop star which was acquired by Max in 2024.
Carlos López Estrada
Executive Producer
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Carlos López Estrada is an Academy Award nominated filmmaker from Mexico City. Carlos’s debut film, BLINDSPOTTING, premiered opening night at Sundance 2018 and was subsequently released by Lionsgate Entertainment. Carlos was nominated by the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film. His second film, SUMMERTIME, premiered opening night of Sundance 2020 and was released theatrically the following year. Peter Debruge from Variety called it “The most inspirational movie of the year.” Carlos’s third film, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON was released by Disney in March of 2021 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. During his time at Disney, Carlos was in the Story Trust for the films FROZEN 2, ENCANTO, STRANGE WORLD and WISH – which he also originated the story for. His documentary film LIL NAS X: LONG LIVE MONTERO premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and was later released by HBO. He is currently writing/set to direct the reimagining of the beloved Japanese anime YOUR NAME for Paramount and Bad Robot.
On the TV side, Carlos directed an episode of FX and Marvel’s LEGION and is currently developing an original comedy show titled SMUGGLERS at FX in association with This American Life. In September of 2024, Carlos directed the multimedia film “FOR MEXICO, FOR ALL TIME” at the Sphere in Las Vegas as the centerpiece of the groundbreaking sporting event, Noche UFC. He began his career directing music videos and has worked with musicians such as Billie Eilish, Blink 182, Thundercat and Flying Lotus, Katy Perry, Father John Misty, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Clipping. In 2012, he won a Latin Grammy for an animated music video he directed for Mexican artists Jesse & Joy. As a producer, Carlos is the founder Antigravity Academy, a production company specializing in creating opportunities for emerging talent in film, television and beyond. Antigravity's first produced project, DÌDI (弟弟), written and directed by Sean Wang, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and won the Audience Award as well the Special Jury Award- Ensemble. The film was acquired by Focus Features and was released in July to rave reviews. It received two Film Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay.