There was a time in the 90s when pez dispensers were worth more, gram-for-gram, than cocaine or gold. Sensing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Steve Glew, a small-town farmer and machinist, smuggled Pez dispensers into the USA from Eastern Europe and made millions. It was all a dream come true, until Steve’s arch-nemesis, “the Pezident”, decided to destroy him.
After catching a glimpse of the Silver Glow Pez – a Holy Grail for Pez collectors – at a toy convention in 1993, Steve Glew set out to track down a Pez factory in Slovenia. Traveling to Eastern Europe with his son Joshua, Steve found tons of Pez dispensers unavailable to American collectors (this was prior to eBay, after all). Steve knew instantly he had a potential goldmine on his hands. But the story was just getting started… Featuring deliciously art-designed re-creations that capture every twist and turn in this stranger-than-fiction tale, The Pez Outlaw, is a fascinating documentary about collectors, espionage, deceit and, ultimately, joy and love.
Director Biography
Bryan Storkel is a director and producer whose work has appeared on Netflix, ESPN, and Fox Sports, among others. He is the director of two feature documentaries: Holy Rollers (2011), and Fight Church (2014). The Pez Outlaw (2022) is his most recent documentary.
Amy Bandlien Storkel was born in Nittedal, Norway and grew up in Michigan. She returned to Norway to study drama and dance at Hedmarktoppen, in Hamar. With her husband, Bryan Storkel, she created the production company SideStilt Films. The Pez Outlaw (2022) is her debut feature documentary.
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