| Seymour: An Introduction | |
| Director: | Ethan Hawke |
| Starring: | Seymour Bernstein |
| Distributor: | IFC Films |
| Runtime: | 84 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Gross: | $907,742[1] |
Seymour: An Introduction is a 2014 American documentary film.[2] Directed by Ethan Hawke, the film documents the career of Seymour Bernstein, a classical pianist who abandoned his rising career as a concert pianist at age 50 to retreat to a more modest, private life as a music educator and composer. The film premiered at the 2014 Telluride Film Festival, and was released on March 13, 2015, by IFC Films. As of May 2023, it has a 100% rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes.
The film debuted on August 30, 2014 at the Telluride Film Festival.[3] At the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, the film was second runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Best Documentary, behind Do I Sound Gay? and the winner, Beats of the Antonov.[4] in August 2014, it was announced IFC Films had acquired United States distribution rights to the film.[5] The film was released on March 13, 2015 in a limited release.[6]
The film has received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 100% rating based on 68 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.80/10. The site's consensus reads: "Seymour Bernstein's genuineness shines so brightly in Seymour: An Introduction that viewers will forgive Ethan Hawke's reverent treatment".[7] It also has a Metacritic score of 83 based on 27 critics, indicating "Universal acclaim".[8]