MOTORCYCLE
FILM FESTIVAL
THE BEST BAR IN AMERICA
ABOUT
A whiskey-fueled writing assignment takes one man on an epic motorcycle road trip through the bars and taverns across the American West.
Riding a 1960 MBW R60/2 motorcycle with a sidecar, Sanders (Andrew Rizzo) is a down-on-his-luck writer on a mission to chronicle every watering hole along the way. With help of fellow traveler and dharma bum, Northway (David Ackroyd) and a variety of other colorful characters along the way, Sanders learns the way of the road and the zen of the bar.
Motorcycling the West, sleeping on the ground, chasing mermaids, and drinking in America’s most legendary taverns, Sanders experiences firsthand the brother of the bike and bar. Along the way, he gets advice from Ernest Hemingway and Jim Harrison on writing, drinking, and living life to the fullest. The Best Bar in America is a classic road movie for the modern age.
YEAR 2009
CATEGORY Best of Festival
COUNTRY U.S.A.
RUN TIME 108 min
COMPANY FireWater Film Company
EMAIL studio@firewaterfilmcompany
CAST/CREDITS
DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS: DamonRistau and Eric Ristau
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Loni Workman
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Katy Jensen
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Josh Moceri
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Jim Beyer
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Loni Workman
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Gregory Collett
EDITOR: Damon Ristau Eric Ristau and Roger Hedden
CAMERA OPERATOR: Eric Ristau
SOUND EDITING: Adam Cotton
VISUAL EFFECTS: Tanem Davidson
MUSIC: Ryan Burnett
MUSIC: Dan Dubuque
MUSIC: Russ Nassett
MUSIC: Club Schmed
CAST: Andrew Rizzo
CAST: David Ackroyd
CAST: Lee Rizzo
CAST: Gregory Collett
CAST: Walt Hefner
CAST: Jim Harrison
CAST: The Montana Legends
FILMMAKERS
Eric Ristau and Damon Ristau
Eric Ristau and Damon Ristau, two brother filmmakers, have an extensive resume between the two of them. Although they joined forces to Co-Produce and Co-Direct The Best Bar in America, they have each directed and worked on their own separate films. Damon directed the movies The Bus and The Bug: Life and Times of the People’s Car, whileEric has Produced, Directed, or Written on Shooting Grunts, Jupiter Landing, and Sit Stay Ride: The Story of America’s Sidecar Dogs.