What is FLYERMAN about?
Flyerman begins as a character study of an eccentric man who passes out flyers for a living and becomes an intense journey of self-discovery and the search for fame. The subject of the documentary is Mark Vistorino, also known as Flyerman.

Why is he called Flyerman?
Flyerman is a title given to him by the public. Years ago, Mark decided to pass out flyers on the city sidewalks to promote his still photography company for movie extras casting. He quickly became an infamous spectacle, stopping lanes of traffic by standing in the streets, spouting off-color remarks to passersby, and wearing a variety of flamboyant costumes. Word spread quickly of the crazy, energetic guy. In essence, Mark saw himself as a superhero. He still does in many ways.

Flyerman thinks he's a superhero? Okay, what are his powers?
You'll have to see the film. As far as a physical trait, it's the "flick" - or Mark's speed and agility with cracking flyers (passing them out) in the middle of a river of people. With an unpredictable personality like Mark, we were never sure what he'd do. He'd constantly surprise us with new talents and reveal deeper layers of himself.

What does Mark think his superpower is?
If you asked Mark what his power is, he'd probably tell you it's his ability to motivate people to go after their dreams. But the film is really about Mark pursuing his own dreams of stardom. He's just not sure how. His conservative father is all too quick to remind Mark that he's quit every "scheme" he's tried, including fashion photography and acting.

Not a lot of support from Dad, huh?
Mark's father seems to play a big role in Flyerman's life, and the movie. Mark's combative relationship with his father forms the core of the film. What you learn is that Mark's blind desire for fame is really just a cry for acceptance and external validation that he doesn't get from his father. Stardom is a way for Mark to prove himself to his father. His father saw Mark as a small business owner, salesman, and tireless promoter as well as unfocused, self-destructive and just not normal. Mark saw himself as something much greater. Mark was sure Flyerman could follow through and accomplish something. He just wasn't sure what that was. The film captures a remarkable transition in Mark's life as he battles his addictions and struggles to fulfill his potential.

The film was quite an adventure, wasn't it?
It was right from the first day of shooting. We followed Mark on one of his characteristic flyer "attacks" at a local movie theater. Within minutes he was stopping traffic. Security came. And then the police arrived. We knew we had an interesting subject for a film. We just had to find the story. We found it quite clearly after meeting Mark's father. Mark's search for stardom and acceptance took us five years to shoot. The film was shot in several cities, in four countries - Toronto, New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Barbados, and France. When you've found the story, it often means you're waiting for certain conflicts to resolve. As in life, these moments often occurred unexpectedly, and with tragic results. Mark's journey of self-discovery came at great personal loss. For every step it seemed he took forward, life would throw him a curveball and he'd take two steps back. Mark's resilience and dedication to his goals is remarkable.

Five years of shooting is also remarkable? That's dedication.
We met Mark by chance at an award ceremony for one of our short films. He was gambling in the hotel lobby upstairs. Like many people, we dismissed Mark as an oddball. But we knew a story was there. Who was this strange guy, and why was he Flyerman? We quickly discovered that he was more like your average "Joe" than most people would like to admit. He came from a very similar family dynamic as many of us. He was most definitely a result of his parents' influence, and the times and manner in which he grew up. Mark just happens to express himself differently. What's fascinating and compelling about this kind of cinema verite documentary filmmaking is that you not only get to know intimately another person, but it can also speak to your own experiences and the state of society as a whole. When you have such a great subject, and such universal themes at work, it's that much easier to commit to the film for the long run.

But how did you shoot for 5 years? In 4 countries nonetheless?
The film quickly became a labour of love. We deferred our salary for the entire shooting time. And the crew was just the two of us. We wanted it that way. It made sense economically, and creatively. We started with divisions of labor. But it quickly became clear that we were equally invested in telling this unique story from all its vantage points - creative, production and technical. So, we shared duties when shooting, one of us camera operating, the other sound recording and both of us interviewing. We'd swap roles frequently. It was a truly collaborative filmmaking experience. Thankfully, we've worked together for going on 10 years now on a variety of films, commercials, music videos, you name it, so there's not only a great degree of trust, but also an invaluable shorthand communication between us. Keeping the crew the two of us and shooting over such a long period of time contributed to the exceptional level of intimacy we achieved with Mark and the others. This provided the compelling footage you see in the film. We truly wanted to experience life through Mark's eyes. Often, it meant delving into new arenas of sub-culture, like fetish night. In order to shoot, and gain the trust of the very private and guarded fetishists, we had to honor the dress code. One of us was in only their underwear, the other in a catholic schoolgirl's uniform. But we were able to share in that moment with Mark, and allow the audience to be there as well.

It seems like you guys became close with Mark?
We get together whenever we're all in the same city. It's always memorable. And fun. We still get calls from Mark in the middle of the night recounting the latest crazy event in his life.

What does Trevor Groth, Senior Programmer for Sundance and Director of Programming for CineVegas, say about FLYERMAN?
Trevor saw a very early version of the film in 2000. He's become a major supporter ever since. He contacted us, inviting us to have a work-in-progress preview as part of CineVegas. These are Trevor's words about the film - "Flyerman is more than just a fascinating character study of a truly unique individual, it's also a powerful portrait of a universal obsession with celebrity that permeates our culture. It is fresh, restrained and rhetorically powerful - the film keeps opening up, revealing terrifically unexpected layers." - Trevor Groth

What is the plan for FLYERMAN?
Our official World Premiere was at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. It was fitting to launch the film in the city where the cameras had first started rolling just over 8 years prior. The film will participate on the festival circuit before its commercial release in theatres, TV, and home video.

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