Greg McCleary

Some people sing in the shower and have dreams of being the next Barbara Streisand, Phantom of the Opera, or Blues Brother. Forget Star Search when there is Karaoke Fever. Shot in verité style, Karaoke Fever follows contestants from preliminary events through the finals of California’s biggest karaoke contest, Karaoke Fest. Participants sing their way to money, fame and a chance at a recording contract. As the Ambassador of Karaoke puts it, “This is the Academy Awards and the Miss America contest for karaoke singers.” Combined with personal interviews and contest footage discover the meaning karaoke has brought to contestants’ lives, the friendships forged, the rivalries built and the deep disappointments felt. This is competitive spirit at its most raw and vulnerable. One can’t stop watching until the emcee calls “And the winner is….”

In 1981, two Massachusetts College of Art students, Sean J. Eunson and Greg McCleary, were given access to a pile of discarded 16mm film footage from an out of production international documentary series. Inspired by their film teacher Dan Barnett’s film White Heart, what began as a classroom exercise in editing, became a three-year exploration in non-narrative filmmaking.