It seems the time-honored (and behind closed-doors) tradition of playing "air guitar" is sweeping the nation. A theatrical documentary about the U.S. Air Guitar Championships is set to be released nationwide.

Founded in 2003, the US Air Guitar Championships have grown into a major national event that reaches more cities, fans and competitors every year. In 2006, the US Air Guitar Championships included 12 Regional Championships, a 20-campus Collegiate Tour and an Online Regional. Details for the 2007 US Air Guitar Championships will be announced shortly, including 15 Regional competitions and our 2nd annual Online Competition. One winner from each regional event will be flown to New York for The National Finals, where only one Air Guitar virtuoso will be crowned US Air Guitar Champion. The US Champ will then the be flown to Finland, where he or she will represent America in the World Air Guitar Championships.

The US Regionals will each consist of two rounds. In round 1, each competitor performs to a song of their own choosing. In round 2, the top competitors from round 1 perform to a surprise compulsory song. In each round, contestants perform for one minute of a song and are judged on a combination of technical prowess, stage presence and "airness." All guitars must be invisible. In each city, the jury is a panel of independent judges that are hand picked by US Air Guitar. The judging panel in each city typically consists of one music writer from the press, a record label executive, an art critic, and a rock n' roll guitarist. The results of the jury cannot be protested.