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Logline

A young, gay Black man escapes the Southside of Chicago in 1978 to join the United States Navy, only to find himself at the center of Manhattan’s 1980’s art scene as Robert Mapplethorpe’s partner and inspiration. Now 67, and an artist himself, Mr. Walls can only look back by doing what he’s always done: By looking inward, and forward.

Synopsis

Jack Walls has been a steadfast and influential fixture in the art world for four decades. However, his life story has not yet been told. Adrian Pasdar has known Jack Walls ever since they met on Kathryn Bigelow’s (Academy-Award winner for Best Director) first feature-film “Near Dark” (1987).

With Glamorous Bum, Mr. Pasdar will present Mr. Walls’ epic, challenging, and inspirational life. His friendship and love for Mr. Walls has endured for over 40 years. It is due to the resilience and steadfast nature of their friendship, that Mr. Pasdar is in a unique position to communicate Mr. Walls’ story like no one else in the world.

Although his primary objective is to capture Mr. Walls’ story in verite style, Mr. Pasdar feels that over the course of making this film, his long and deep friendship with Mr. Walls will inevitably become a major subtext and storyline. The film will become not only an exploration of two artist’s journeys, but of enduring friendship and love.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Adrian Pasdar — Director
Adrian Pasdar has starred in many successful films and television shows. He is known for Top Gun, Profit, Near Dark, Carlito’s Way, Heroes, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and most recently, The Exorcisim, starring Russell Crowe.

Mr. Pasdar wrote and directed the Award-winning short film Beyond Belief starring Academy-Award Nominee Jeffrey Wright. He then directed his first feature film in 1999, the art-house neo-noir Cement. A contemporary retelling of Othello, again, starring Jeffrey Wright, and with Christopher Penn, the film won multiple Best Picture and Audience Favorite awards on the festival circuit.

Mr. Pasdar recently received the Best Director and Comedy Short of the Year awards for his film, Queer Fish in God’s Waiting Room, awarded by Crown Point International Film Festival (2023).

James Rasin — Producer
James Rasin’s award-winning short The Burning Ghat was an official selection of the Venice Biennale, and was part of the Whitney Museum’s “Beat Culture and the New America”. His feature documentary Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar won Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival and Best Film at the Montenegro International Documentary Film Festival. After its World Premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, and U.S. Premiere at MoMA’s New Directors/New Films, Darling screened at museums and major festivals around the world, including The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Andy Warhol Museum, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Emily Wiedemann — Producer
Emily Wiedemann is the founder of Greencard Pictures, a full service production company based in New York City. Her feature film & narrative credits include Netflix’s Two Sentence Horror Stories, The Clovehitch Killer (2018), Creative Control (SXSW 2015), Bluebird (Tribeca Film Festival 2013), short film The Apocalypse (Sundance 2013, SXSW 2013), the web series The Fuzz (2012 Yahoo Screen) and Food Party (IFC). Since Greencard’s launch in 2006, the company has produced over a thousand works for top brands and has won Cannes Lions awards, a Silver Pencil from The One Show for creative excellence, and Addy Awards for Brand TV.

Matthew Porter — Editor/Executive Producer
Matthew Porter graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2011 with a degree in cinematography. After moving to Los Angeles, he transitioned to post-production, working from 2012 to 2021, rising from production assistant to lead editor. Mr. Porter excells as a freelance editor and graphic designer, handling independent and commercial projects. He consistently delivers high-quality results, and maintains a passion for excellence.

Jack Walls — Cast
A veteran of the downtown art scene, Mr. Walls’ vision and scope has influenced a vast array of younger artists that habitate the edge of the art world, a position from which few have managed to successfully launch careers. His iconic status and relevance continues to grow. His ‘inside-outsider’ status is no accident: The slick machinations of the art and fashion world leave little to be desired by Mr. Walls. He prefers, as he always has, to go his own way.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.