The Pez Outlaw
Directed by Bryan Storkel, Amy Bandlien Storkel
Hosted by Amy Storkel, director & Bryan Storkel, director.
Official selection
South By Southwest 2022
Cleveland International Film Festival 2022
Seattle International Film Festival 2022
Milwaukee Film Festival 2022
Freep Festival 2022
Honors
Special Jury Recognition, SXSW
Director
Bryan Storkel, Amy Bandlien Storkel
Executive Producer
Green Jonathan, Nathan Larson, Theo Love, Chris Smith
Producer
Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel
Cast
Steve Glew
Cinematographer
Britton Foster
Sound Designer
Lawrence Everson
Composer
Michael James Lee
Editor
Amy Bandlien Storkel, Bryan Storkel, Evan Vetter
contact
Sidestilt Films
“Every dedicated collector is crazy a little bit in his mind—because otherwise he wouldn’t be a collector.” And the one you’re about to meet is probably the most endearing of them all. In fact, Steve Glew is such a delight that his performance (as himself) earned him a Special Jury mention following the film’s World Premiere at SXSW 2022! After 25 years of working an unrewarding job to keep his family afloat while battling depression, this small-town Michigan man finally found his true calling at a local toy convention, where he was introduced to the vibrant (and surprisingly lucrative) world of Pez candy dispensers. Before he knew it, Glew was making a fortune as THE PEZ OUTLAW, smuggling rare and exclusive collectibles from faraway European factories into an eager American market… Until the CEO of the Pez Company, a.k.a. the Pezident, caught wind of his shenanigans and became his ultimate arch-nemesis.
Recounting our hero’s adventures in a cinematic fashion that pays tribute to the espionage novels he is so fond of, with a dash of Wonka-esque whimsy, filmmakers/producers extraordinaire Bryan Storkel (FIGHT CHURCH, Fantasia 2014) and Amy Bandlien Storkel sure know how to serve entertainment. This stranger-than-fiction tale of a lovable underdog who managed to elude (and royally annoy) a powerful corporation for years also invites us into the heart of the Pez community, an eclectic band of passionate hobbyists that can seem all-too-familiar to most of us festival-goers. Who knew true crime documentaries could be this sweet? – Alyssia Duval-Nguon
Showings
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