Winnebago Man

Film Synopsis

Winnebago Man
Director: Ben Steinbauer
Year: 2009
Country: USA
Duration: 89 minutes
Email: hello@winnebagoman.com
Web: www.winnebagoman.com


In the heady days of the ‘80s, long before the Internet and Youtube, fans of the oddball and bizarre would spend their spare time searching out strange and wonderful videos that showed the absurd and hilarious side of human nature. These would circulate in endlessly dubbed variants amongst enthusiasts. One such movie was a series of outtakes of a middle aged man in an advert for mobile homes. More than just TV bloopers, this was a mini-epic of a man on the brink of self-immolation, cussing and muttering and hollering while the camera rolled.

Winnebago Man explores this video underground and the growth of Youtube - where you’ll find many of these clips today – and examines the effect of video notoriety on those who are luckless enough to be caught doing something funny or stupid on film. Not just content with interviewing people whose mishaps appeared online, director  Steinbauer searches out the legendary star of the tape known simply as Winnebago Man. And then things become strange.

Winnebago Man is a celebration of found footage, Americana, and video tape, but more than this, it is about the obsessions of two men. A film director looking for an icon and a man who lost his temper shooting a commercial many years ago.

Filmmakers in attendance!

Award
Best Documentary Feature, Sarasota Film Festival, 2009.

Present your ticket stub for this film to get FREE admission to The Inside Track On Working Outside The System, the Danny Plotnick workshop at 10:30m on Saturday 11th at ECU and to the Welcome to the No Budget IndieVerse Panel at 3:00pm on Sunday 12th July at TAFE Music Campus.