Conor Oberst, frontman of the American indie rock band Bright Eyes, has made his first short film, titled "Invention 13," starring singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. The film will premiere on September 26 at the Beyond Fest festival in Los Angeles.
The story follows a pianist trying to learn what a festival press release calls Johann Sebastian Bach's "notoriously complex" Invention 13, only to run into what the release describes as strange obstacles. In an Instagram post, Oberst said that music is exorcism, and that sometimes it does not come out.
Cast and crew
"Invention 13" was co-directed by Oberst and Sean Foree. The cast includes actors Emory Cohen and Olivia Howard, and the film also features professional skater Nelly Morville. Cohen is known for his film roles in "Brooklyn" and "The Place Beyond the Pines."
Phoebe Bridgers lends her voice to the film. She and Oberst previously worked together as the duo Better Oblivion Community Center, which released a self-titled album in 2019. Bridgers has since built a solo career and performs with the group boygenius alongside Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker.
How the film was made
The 15-minute short was shot on Super 16mm film in January 2026 in Omaha, Nebraska, the city where Bright Eyes formed and where Oberst grew up. Its creators used practical effects and hand-made animation to bring the story to life.
Background
Bright Eyes, fronted by Oberst since the 1990s, is known for albums such as "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" and for lyrics that mix folk and rock with confessional, literary songwriting. Bach's Invention 13 in A minor is one of the composer's Two-Part Inventions, short keyboard pieces widely used to teach piano students independence between the hands. Beyond Fest is an annual genre and independent film festival held in Los Angeles.
