Peter McDowell

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"Polite persistence" -- that's the story of filmmaker Peter McDowell in so many ways, and it's how he brought the film JIMMY IN SAIGON to movie theaters, through May 1st, 2025 in NYC, and then beyond. He's been at work on the film since 2010, and it throws on its head what you might expect from a Vietnam War documentary.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how he got started in filmmaking, alongside his brother, Jimmy, who is the subject of JIMMY IN SAIGON;
• what his concepts of documentaries about the Vietnam War before he started?
• the long journey of creating his film, starting in 2010, that details the search for what happened to his brother during the Vietnam War;
• what advice he'd give documentary filmmakers embarking on such a personal narrative -- "just turn the camera on";
• what his "special sauce" for fundraising on a project that took 12 years to put together -- fiscal sponsorship;
• the soundtrack was released for the film; was that always part of that plan and how did he come up with a such a great score?
• the film has been on the festival circuit for over two years; what does he think of film festivals?
• what's next for him?

Peter's Indie Film Highlight: Pedro Almodovar; A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY (2024) dir. by Rachel Elizabeth Seed

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