How You Can be a Part of Getting the Documentary "Jens Pulver | Driven" to the Masses

It was August of 2010 when I first spoke with filmmaker Gregory Bayne about his project on former UFC champion, Jens Pulver.  Here is Bayne describing the film in his own words:

Kaleb Kelchner:  For those who don't know, what is "Driven", and why Jens Pulver?

Gregory Bayne:  JENS PULVER | DRIVEN is an intimate feature documentary film about legendary mixed martial arts champion, Jens Pulver, who rose from a childhood laced with violence and substance abuse, to become on of the most loved and respected MMA fighters of all time.  The film presents an in depth look into the fighter, and his life, past, present, and future as we follow his 'last march' toward what ended up being his final fight in the UFC/WEC last March.

I am actually quite new to MMA, and haven't watched it much.  And, before my first meeting with Jens, did I know much about him or his career.  What I did know, after the first meeting, is that Jens is a warm, casually unassuming guy, with a quick smile, big heart, and an incredibly engaging personality that just draws you in. 

After that meeting I did my research, read his biography, "Little Evil: One Ultimate Fighter's Rise to the Top", and learned that there was so much more to Jens, and his sport, than meets the eye.

I was hooked, quickly becoming engrossed in this story of an abused kid from the horse tracks in Seattle, who despite every opportunity to repeat the mistakes of his father, instead embraced athletics to eventually rise to the height of World Champion in his sport.  His life story, coupled with his return to the WEC, simply struck me as an amazing story to tell.

The film was entirely funded by friends, family, and fans.  Then in November, I got to review Driven, which I thought was an honest look at not just a fighter who had fallen on hard times, but a man who worked hard to give his family a better life than he had growing up.  

The DVD release to those who contributed to the film isn't where it ends for Bayne and Jens Pulver though.  Driven is now going on an open source film tour, allowing for folks to contribute, and even host their own screening of the documentary AND KEEP THE PROCEEDS.  

After the jump, Bayne explains the process at Filmmaker Magazine, and you can find out how to be a part of the distribution of Jens Pulver | Driven.

As I began to understand these things about Jens throughout the process of making the film, it became very apparent to me that the distribution of this film, like the film itself, needed to mirror Jens’ personality and demeanor. So, from early on I was convinced that we would be taking the film, Jens, and his message on a national tour of one night screening events.

For months I’ve been out pounding the pavement to this end, with a modicum of success. My early approach was not unlike others out there now, seeking private finance or sponsorship to conduct such an endeavor which, would then be produced with a ‘top-down’ approach of me and my team dictating the what, when and where of things. It’s not a bad approach, and it’s one that others, filmmakers and musicians alike have had success with. But, I kept having that nagging feeling that it wasn’t quite right for what we are hoping to accomplish. A ‘branded’ event heavy on commerce just seemed out of character.

So, it was with this nagging feeling I found myself in conversation with my friend and fellow filmmaker Hunter Weeks, who had just spent most of the previous year touring his new film, Ride the Divide, about a 2700 mile mountain bike race across the Continental Divide. After screening in over 80 cities across the States they essentially opened up the distribution of the film to anyone with the inclination to screen it by offering a screening kit that allowed a fan to purchase a one time license to show the film…and keep the proceeds. I had also witnessed this approach with my friend Cory McAbee, who created a similar opportunity for fans to screen his films American Astronaut and Stingray Sam.

It felt like a watershed moment. I suddenly couldn’t fathom a better way to theatrically distribute this film, which is 100% fan funded, and has been powered by community every step of the way. By ‘open-sourcing’ the distribution and allowing fans or organizations to create and benefit from their own events, we not only align with Jens’ personality and the nature of the film, we create exponential opportunities for the film to be seen across the globe in ways we could never imagine, while at the same time perhaps inciting some good in the world. It is something we simply couldn’t do on our own with a top-down approach.

Once decided, much like making the film itself, I dove in whole-heartedly and never looked back. I created a Kickstarter.com campaign to launch this effort and basically followed Hunter and Cory’s lead.

So how does something like this work? Well, it’s simple really, for $300 anyone can secure a one-time license to do a public screening of the film. They find the venue, set the ticket price, and keep the proceeds. We provide the screener (a DVD or Blu-Ray), some additional DVDs, promotional support and a ‘how to host a screening’ packet.

At the time of this article, there's just 10 days left for the project to reach it's goal of $15,000.  If you're interested, or would like more info, check out the Kickstarter Page.  For those who've yet to see the film, I suggest it to not only fans of Jens Pulver or MMA, but anyone who enjoys a solid documentary, or quality directing.  Here's the promotional trailer for Driven.  Spread the word!