The Newport Folk Festival didn’t just predate generation-defining events like Woodstock and Monterey Pop — it laid the foundation for the youth-driven spectacles that followed, from Coachella to Lollapalooza. Between 1963 and 1966, the seaside gathering assembled an extraordinary roster that included Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Howlin’ Wolf, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger and — most famously — Bob Dylan.

It was here that the 24-year-old troubadour shocked the crowd on July 25, 1965 by plugging in his Fender Stratocaster and “going electric,” a move that scandalized folk purists but ultimately redefined rock ’n’ roll as a legitimate form of modern folk expression. That groundbreaking moment recently served as the emotional climax of A Complete Unknown, the hit film with Timothée Chalamet bringing Dylan to life onscreen.

Now, a new documentary from award-winning filmmakers Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro goes behind the scenes of this legendary set and revisits other highlights from throughout the festival’s formative years. Crafted from rare, never-before-seen archival footage and bolstered with new interviews with festival performers and organizers, Newport & The Great Folk Dream(which premiered Sept. 5 at the Venice International Film Festival) is both a pulse-pounding musical journey and a powerful meditation on the ability of art to spark change.