‘Honest Man: The Life of R. Budd Dwyer’

Directed by James Dirschberger

On January 22nd, 1987, the affable treasurer of the state of Pennsylvania held a press conference. Accused of bribery and facing jail time, a visibly agitated Budd Dwyer read a prepared speech professing his innocence to the attendant television cameras and reporters. He stopped reading mid-speech, and - after handing out three envelopes to his staffers - pulled out a revolver, pleaded with people to stand back, and shot himself.

More than 24 years after this shocking suicide, Los Angeles filmmaker James Dirschberger’s documentary about the life of this much-scrutinized politician will make its L.A. premiere at Cinema Speakeasy (at Royal/T in Culver City) on Friday, July 29 at 8:30PM.

Members of Dwyer’s family, James Dirschberger, and Trevor Moore (founder of comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’ Know) will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A moderated by Truthdig.com‘s Kasia Anderson.

Millions of people have seen the video of Dwyer’s death on the internet, but very little is known about the circumstances leading to the dramatic event. In our era of extreme rhetoric and a dehumanizing press corps, we at Cinema Speakeasy think that this movie presents an especially salient look at the potential repercussions to our callous treatment of public figures - be they politician or celebrity. Dirschberger presents a humanizing account of the man behind the infamy, and we’re proud to show – and discuss - this thoughtful documentary.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Friday July 29th, 2011

Doors open at 7. Film starts at 8:30. Post-screening Q&A at 10:00.

Q&A moderated by Kasia Anderson, with members of the Dwyer family, Trevor Moore from The Whitest Kids U’ Know, and director James Dirschberger.

Come early and eat some good food at Royal/T’s café

Royal/T (8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City 90232)

Tickets: $10 at the door

15% of Cinema Speakeasy’s proceeds will be given back to the filmmaker

*** Must RSVP for Guaranteed Entreance: heythere@cinemaspeakeasy.com

www.cinemaspeakeasy.com

www.dwyermovie.com

www.royal-t.org

www.truthdig.com

www.whitestkids.com

Honest Man on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/133232206688482

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=173794326018743

About Cinema Speakeasy 

Cinema Speakeasy showcases films in regular programs at locations around Los Angeles and San Francisco. We’re committed to exhibiting totally independent media, in all its permutations - films you will rarely see in a theatre chain or on network TV, but always very worth watching. We’re also committed to having a good time, which often involves drinking alcohol and introducing yourself to a group of your new best friends.

About James Dirschberger

Director/Producer James Dirschberger is originally from Buffalo, NY, a few short hours north of Budd Dwyer’s hometown of Meadville. Dirschberger moved to San Francisco in 2002 to pursue filmmaking. Since then, he has teamed up with numerous Bay Area artists to create successful collaborative animations, music videos, short films and documentaries, eventually making a move to Los Angeles in early 2011. His films have screened around the world and have accumulated over one million views online. He is currently developing an animated series for television. HONEST MAN is his first feature film, developed by his production company, Eighty Four Films. 

About Trevor Moore

Trevor Paul Moore an American actor, comedian, writer, and director best known as a founding member of the New York City-based comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U' Know, who currently have their own sketch comedy series on IFC. Moore's other note-worthy projects include The Trevor Moore Show, Uncle Morty's Dub Shack, and Miss March. 

About Kasia Anderson 

Kasia Anderson is the Arts & Culture editor at Truthdig, and can be heard every Wednesday at 2pm on KPFK’s Truthdig radio show, 90.7FM. After graduating from Swarthmore College, she worked as a Web journalist in San Francisco until 2000, when she swapped coasts to write for the New York Daily News as an entertainment reporter. She has also written freelance pieces for Salon.com, the Orlando Sentinel, and Huffington Post, among other publications. In 2003, she returned to California to attend USC’s Annenberg School for Communication, from which she is currently working toward her Ph.D., with a dissertation about celebrity and politics.

About Royal/T

Royal/T is a playful collision of spaces — café/ shop/ art space/ pop-up theatre —presented in stunning fusion. An eclectic mix of retail and contemporary art reimagined in the surrounds of LA's first Japanese-style cosplay café.