Plan 9 from Syracuse
Encyclopedia
Plan 9 from Syracuse is a documentary
by independent filmmaker Ryan Dacko
about his attempt to gain attention of film producer Mark Cuban
by staging a cross-country run from Syracuse, New York
, to Hollywood.
Despite a lack of experience in marathon running, Dacko left from Syracuse’s Eastwood Palace Theatre on August 15, 2006. He planned to reach Hollywood in 90 days, but problems with weather and unreliable support crews delayed his arrival until December 31, a 139-day journey. In the course of the run, he used the Internet to urge supporters to lobby Mark Cuban to agree for a meeting. Cuban, learning about the endeavor, responded negatively and refused to meet with Dacko.
With this run, Dacko became the 175th person to cross America on foot (166th male, the 30th supported run, and the 201st crossing overall among other stats).
Plan 9 from Syracuse had its premiere at the B-Movie Film Festival
in October 2007. Two months later, it was reviewed by Film Threat
as “the best documentary of the year, bar none.” It was screened on the U.S. film festival
circuit, winning awards for Best Picture and Best Director at the 2008 New Haven Underground Film Festival
. The film was released on DVD release on August 26, 2008, by SRS Cinema.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by independent filmmaker Ryan Dacko
Ryan Dacko
Ryan Dacko is an independent filmmaker based in Syracuse, New York. Dacko served in the United States Coast Guard and used his free time while on a tour of duty at Antarctica to create the screenplay of And I Lived, a melodrama about high school lovers threatened by peer pressure and class...
about his attempt to gain attention of film producer Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban
Mark Cuban is an American business magnate and investor. He is the owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and Magnolia Pictures, and the chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet....
by staging a cross-country run from Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, to Hollywood.
Despite a lack of experience in marathon running, Dacko left from Syracuse’s Eastwood Palace Theatre on August 15, 2006. He planned to reach Hollywood in 90 days, but problems with weather and unreliable support crews delayed his arrival until December 31, a 139-day journey. In the course of the run, he used the Internet to urge supporters to lobby Mark Cuban to agree for a meeting. Cuban, learning about the endeavor, responded negatively and refused to meet with Dacko.
With this run, Dacko became the 175th person to cross America on foot (166th male, the 30th supported run, and the 201st crossing overall among other stats).
Plan 9 from Syracuse had its premiere at the B-Movie Film Festival
B-Movie Film Festival
The B-Movie Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Syracuse, United States.The festival was founded in 1999 by local filmmaker Ron Bonk to promote the art of B-movie making. It was canceled in its third year due to the effects of September 11 attacks...
in October 2007. Two months later, it was reviewed by Film Threat
Film Threat
Film Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
as “the best documentary of the year, bar none.” It was screened on the U.S. film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
circuit, winning awards for Best Picture and Best Director at the 2008 New Haven Underground Film Festival
New Haven Underground Film Festival
The New Haven Underground Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Connecticut, USA. Despite its name, the event itself has never been held in New Haven; instead, it has been held in other Connecticut cities while carrying the slogan "So underground that it's not even in New Haven."This...
. The film was released on DVD release on August 26, 2008, by SRS Cinema.
External links
- CNY TV interview with Ryan Dacko Part 1
- CNY TV interview with Ryan Dacko Part 2
- Syracuse Post-Standard coverage of the film’s production
- CNYLink.com/Eagle Newspaper coverage of the film’s production
- FilmFetish.com coverage of the film’s production
- Review in PopMatters
- Planet Ultramarathon Announcement and Record Book Keeping