Inspired by the 2019 article “Building a Mystery: An Oral History of Lilith Fair” from Vanity Fair and Epic Magazine, written by Jessica Hopper with Sasha Geffen and Jenn Pelly, “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” tells the untold story of the groundbreaking music festival featuring only women artists, started by iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan and her team in the late 1990s, in opposition to systematic industry barriers that limited women from playing together on a concert bill and getting back-to-back airplay on the radio. It draws from more than 600 hours of never-before-seen archival footage as well as new interviews and stories from fans, festival organizers, and artists. The documentary reunites and features interviews with original Lilith Fair artists Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Erykah Badu, Paula Cole, Jewel, Mýa, Natalie Merchant, Indigo Girls and Emmylou Harris and a new generation of artists who have carried the torch, including Brandi Carlile and Olivia Rodrigo, among others As the film celebrates the festival’s groundbreaking legacy and impact, it also confronts the backlash that tried to diminish it and explores what Lilith means in today’s world.
“Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,” a feature-length documentary from director Ally Pankiw (“I Used to Be Funny,” “Black Mirror,” “The Great”), will premiere in Canada on Wednesday, Sept. 17, on CBC and CBC Gem and on Sunday, Sept. 21, on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally (excluding Canada), following its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is produced with the support of the original Lilith Fair founders: Sarah McLachlan, Terry McBride, Dan Fraser and Marty Diamond.
