Conor Oberst has found a new medium for storytelling. The Bright Eyes frontman and Shawn Foree have announced their debut short film, which will premiere at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles on September 26th.
Shot on Super 16mm over four frigid nights in Omaha, Nebraska this past January, Invention 13 follows a frustrated pianist who runs into a series of strange obstacles while attempting to master J.S. Bach’s notoriously difficult composition of the same name. Oberst and Foree assembled a 40-person crew for the project, which incorporates practical effects and hand-drawn animation.
The 15-minute short stars Emory Cohen, best known for playing Homer on The OA, alongside newcomer Olivia Howard and professional skateboarder Nelly Morville. Bright Eyes member Nathaniel Walcott composed the soundtrack. Most notably, Phoebe Bridgers is also credited as a voice actor in the movie.
Invention 13 will receive its debut screening at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre alongside Nobuhiko Obayashi’s 1977 Japanese horror classic, Hausu. Afterward, Oberst and Foree will participate in a Q&A moderated by comedian and musician Whitmer Thomas.
Oberst will return to his day job after the premiere, as Bright Eyes are set to embark on a US tour this fall. The group will be hitting the road with the reunited Lullaby for the Working Class, which Walcott is a member of along with fellow Bright Eyes teammate Mike Mogis. In January 2027, the band will play I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn in full across three shows at the Brooklyn Paramount. The upcoming run in New York City follows Bright Eyes’ 21st anniversary celebrations of the two albums earlier this year, when they performed both records front-to-back at Red Rocks and the Hollywood Bowl. A third show at Forest Hills Stadium was scheduled to follow the same program but was unfortunately cut short by rain.
Check out the group’s full touring itinerary below, and look for deals and tickets to sold-out shows here (fans can save $20 on their first order of $200 or more with promo code COS20 at checkout).
Bright Eyes 2026–2027 Tour Dates:
09/19 — Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
10/02 — Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall +
10/03 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue +
10/04 — Chicago, IL @ Metro +
10/05 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre +
10/06 — Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s +
10/07 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer +
10/09 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club +
10/10 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel +
10/11 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse +
10/12 — Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl +
10/13 — New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina’s +
10/15 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre +
10/16 — Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory +
10/17 — Kansas City, MO @ The Truman +
10/18 — St. Louis, MO @ The Sovereign +
10/20 — Omaha, NE @ The Admiral Theater +
01/11 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
01/12 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
01/14 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount *
* = playing I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn in full
+ = with Lullaby for the Working Class
