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Logline

He was the most infamous troublemaker, heartbreaker and hitmaker of his generation. Known as one of the greatest singers and songwriters in country music history and as the “Original Elvis” for his flashy style and obsessive fandom. From his meteoric climb to the top of the charts, to his spectacular fall to forgotten legend, discover the truly extraordinary story of Lefty Frizzell.

Synopsis

They called him the Texas Tornado. A singer so unique he changed the landscape of country music forever, and long before Elvis the girls screamed for Lefty Frizzell. Born in an oil field in Corsicana Texas on the edge of the great Depression, Lefty’s unique style of singing propelled him out of poverty to the screaming fans of the Grand Ole Opry and all the way to two Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. Lefty landed an unprecedented four top ten hits at the same time—it took the Beatles to kick him off that throne. A hard-living honky-tonker often sidelined by bad business deals and the constant turmoil of alcohol, Lefty persevered and managed to change the world of country music. This is a chronicle of his life as seen through his music, family and peers.

Lefty’s story is more circular than an arc.

In Lefty we will explore pivotal moments of his life from poverty and obscurity to the top of the charts and the sacrifices made to achieve this feat. We time hop from Lefty’s desperate childhood to chart success and his slide back into obscurity.

Lefty’s story is a roller coaster, in between the highs and many lows it is important for us to explore why he eventually fell out of favor in the music genre he redefined despite maintaining legendary status with the country stars who succeeded him. We will reveal why Willie Nelson says he taught him how to sing, George Jones called Lefty the original Elvis, and why Lefty wrote his first hit from jail all while exploring the complexities of the human condition.

We plan to bring the audience on an electrifying ride that will have them cheering and rooting for Lefty’s success while leaving them blown away by his relative obscurity.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

M. Douglas Silverstein — Director/Producer
M. Douglas Silverstein is an EMMY award winning director and five time nominated producer. He and his projects have won fifteen Telly awards and thirty film festival awards. His endless passion for storytelling, and emerging technologies guides the highest level of commitment to excellence in all creative endeavors.

He is a director, producer and editor of unscripted and scripted content for TV, film, web and mobile including documentaries, live concerts, promos, commercials, behind the scenes, live broadcast event specials, and product promos featuring iconic recording artists, esteemed organizations, leading brands and Fortune 100 companies.

This includes live concerts from Green Day, The Country Music Hall of Fame and The United Nations. His documentary and commercial work features projects with Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Willie Nelson, Foo Fighters, Rihanna, Elton John, Duran Duran, Justin Timberlake, Google, Best Buy, Verizon, LG, AT&T, Best Buy and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Kat Corbett — Producer
Kat Corbett is radio veteran from KROQ and XFM UK where she helped bring new talent like Billie Eilish and Silversun Pickups to the masses. Kat has conducted thousands of interviews with major talent, and as a copyrighter, editor and voiceover artist Kat crafted commercials for Mercedes Benz, FIFA and the film podcast INCREMENT VICE. Currently she broadcasts from SiriusXM, Los Angeles.

As a writer Kat holds finalist positions at the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship, PAGE International, Final Draft and two Second Rounder spots at the AFF.

In 2019 Kat was named one of LA Weekly’s “People of the Year.”

Matthew Mindlin — Director of Photography
Matt is an accomplished cinematographer of commercials, TV shows, feature films and documentaries. Projects include working with Robert Downey Jr. for HTC, Concerts for the United Nations and Green Day, documentaries on Charles Bukowski, and Madonna, plus behind the scenes videos with Cher, Fleetwood Mac and Spinal Tap.

Mike Suby — Composer
Mike Suby is a composer for television and film, known for creating bold, rich scores that embody complex and evolving emotions and story lines. Suby is accomplished in a multitude of genres and has composed for more than 300 television episodes, and films.

Mike has cemented his reputation in projects that elicit deep character development, reflected in his work on shows such as the ABC Family transgender docu-series, Becoming Us.

Mike’s work for Pretty Little Liars, Project Runway, Vampire Diaries, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and Make It or Break It have earned him four BMI and two ASCAP awards.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.