Sundance, Reality TV and POWs with Tim Breitbach - Director of the Final 19 Artwork

In Motion Storytellers

The In Motion Storytellers podcast goal is to inform and equip filmmakers to succeed from anywhere. Through interviews with top professionals in the film, TV and online distribution space, we will share advice on making a living as a filmmaker in the 'flyover states', conversations on what the most pivotal decisions that led to our guests success, and what it takes to have work/life balance as a filmmaker. This podcast will focus more on the business and entrepreneurial side of filmmaking in hopes of giving other filmmakers a roadmap for their own success.

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In Motion Storytellers

Sundance, Reality TV and POWs with Tim Breitbach - Director of the Final 19

February 06, 2023 • Dan Parris • Season 1 • Episode 10

In today's episode, we interview Tim Breitbach, the director of the Final 19 which was just released on Amazon on Feb 5th by Buffalo 8. The Final 19 is the true story of Sgt. Daniel Hefel (and the director's cousin) who was one of the final 19 prisoners of war to come home from Vietnam. A small-town kid that enlisted, he was an infantry grunt in the 101st Airborne unit. They veered into the A Shau Valley without alerting the base camp, crashed into the mountainside, and the NVA captured Hefel and his co-pilot. He spent a total of 1,143 days in captivity.

We talk to Tim about how his career started with a Sundance award winning script and film, what it was like to attend the Sundance lab and the festival and then his journey from being represented in LA to moving back to the Midwest to be near family. Back in the Midwest, he helped launch Coolfire Originals known for a number of breakout reality TV hits including Sweetie Pies and Fast N'Loud. From there, we talk about going out on his own to start Optimal Entertainment and the journey he went on the create the documentary the Final 19. Tim has a lot of experience and knowledge to share. Enjoy!

A few things mentioned in the podcast:

Final 19 on Amazon
Sundance Writer Lab
Sundance Film Festival
Dopamine (Tim's film that premiered at Sundance and was in the Lab)
Coolfire Studios ()Where Tim produced a number of reality TV shows)
Kansas City named top cities for filmmakers
KC Film Office
Optimal Entertainment FB page (Tim's new business)
Julien-Dubuque Film Fest (Where Tim's film received standing ovation and sold out screenings)
Buffalo 8 (Tim's distribution company)

This podcast is sponsored by the MO Film Office (https://mofilm.org) and Shock City Studios (www.shockcitystudios.com) and is brought to you by Speak Up Productions (www.speakupproductions.com) and the In Motion team (www.inmotionconference.com)

Music by Courtney Orlando Peebles of So Hot Productions (https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-jr-peebles-05a2a19/)