PARNELLI JONES DOCUMENTARY AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
LOS ANGELES, California – January 3, 2017 – Car Barn Productions announced today that their one-hour documentary, “Behind The Indianapolis 500 With Parnelli Jones” is available on AMAZON.com to purchase DVDs, or stream instantly.
Screened to a sold-out, standing room only crowd at the Sun Valley Film Festival last March, it is the first film about the Indy 500 ever chosen by a major film festival. The film producers hosted a Q&A session following the film with Parnelli and documentary narrator, Bob Varsha, joining the panel where the film was greeted with rave reviews.
Each Memorial Day weekend hundreds of thousands of race fans flock to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to witness the world’s largest single-day sporting event. Jones, the oldest living driver to have won the coveted race, has countless wins in all forms of motorsports including NASCAR, Off-Road, (winning the Baja 500 and Baja 1000 twice) and Sports Car, but it’s his victories as a driver and team owner at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway that have defined his career.
The film explores the rich history and tradition of the iconic Indianapolis 500. Parnelli Jones takes the viewers on a never-before seen personal journey as he returns to the Speedway for the grueling 500-mile race where winners are made, hearts are broken and legends are born. Also included are interviews with Parnelli, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Bobby Unser, Bobby Rahal, PJ Jones, Al Unser, Jr., Chip Ganassi, and Mike Hull.
“Behind The Indianapolis 500 With Parnelli Jones” was written, produced and directed by Car Barn’s team of Annie Walker, Michael Walker and Travis Knox.
The film is being offering on DVD for $14.99, or instant streaming sales for $12.99.
For more information: www.behindindy.com
Film explores five-decade relationship with '500'
By Mark Robinson | Published: Jul 2, 2015 indycar.com
The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race is heralded as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Seeing it through the eyes of a racing legend provides an entirely new perspective and one that makers of the film “Behind the Indianapolis 500 with Parnelli Jones” believe will resonate with fans everywhere.
The film delves into the enduring relationship Jones has enjoyed with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for more than five decades. Jones, along with executive producers Annie and Mike Walker and Travis Knox, held an exclusive screening of the film’s “first rough cut” last week at Auto Club Speedway. Guests at the screening included a pair of Jones’ peers and friends, Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutherford.
Never one to crave the spotlight, Jones thought “there was a little too much me” in the rough cut that intertwines his days as a driver and car owner with insights from his annual pilgrimage to IMS each May. Jones’ saga with the Indy 500 began with his rookie season in 1961, included his dominant 1963 “500” victory, the near win in the 1967 Andy Granatelli turbine car and back-to-back triumphs as owner of Al Unser’s car in 1970-71.
“It brought back a lot of memories and stuff,” Jones said. “I think the whole picture is probably good for racing, anyway. I think people that see it could relate to where we come from. People don’t usually get to see how it all happens.”
Annie Walker has known Jones for more than 30 years. As she began developing the project of an Indianapolis 500 film several years ago, she said, “I started thinking how interesting it would be to see it through the eyes of a winner. Parnelli seemed like the perfect fit for that.
“Parnelli always seemed like the one that a lot of these guys revered more than others. He was breaking records, he was kind of fearless, but he also made it through without any major accidents, he was respected by all of his peers. And as he moved on into business, he became an incredibly successful businessman and was able to carry that success on as an owner. So many things that started to piece together for me why people see him as this icon.”
Andretti, Bobby Unser and Rick Mears – all fellow Indy 500 winners themselves – are among the many motorsports personalities who spoke to filmmakers about Jones’ legacy and the aura of the Indianapolis 500. Current plans call for a one-hour finished product that will be pitched to television networks for broadcast leading up to the 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 next May.
“I’m hoping it will give a boost to the 100th and give people a little bit more awareness about how cool the speedway is and how cool the ‘500’ is and how much history is there,” Walker said.
Knox, the fellow executive producer, learned firsthand why Jones was the right choice for the project when the two flew together from Los Angeles to Indianapolis for this year’s “500.”
“At LAX, he was just the guy sitting next to me on the plane who could’ve been my dad,” Knox said. “But the minute we got off in Indianapolis, he was surrounded by people. In that city and in this sport, he is beloved.”
CAR BARN PRODUCTIONS DEBUTS INAUGURAL FILM
“Behind The Indianapolis 500 with Parnelli Jones” to Premiere at Sun Valley Film Festival
MAHATTAN BEACH, California – February 5, 2016 – Car Barn Productions today announced that “Behind The Indianapolis 500 With Parnelli Jones”, will debut at the Sun Valley Film Festival on March 2, 2016. The documentary, which offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” through the eyes of racing legend and 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones, is the company’s inaugural film.
Each Memorial Day weekend hundreds of thousands of race fans flock to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to witness the world’s largest single-day sporting event. Jones takes the viewer on a rare personal journey as he returns to the Speedway for the month-long celebration culminating in a grueling 500 mile race where winners are made, hearts are broken and legends are born. The film explores the rich history and tradition of the iconic event that will celebrate its 100th running this May.
Jones, the oldest living driver to have won the coveted race, has countless wins in all forms of motorsports including NASCAR, Off-Road and Sports Car, but like all racers, it’s his victories at the famed Speedway that have defined his career.
“Behind The Indianapolis 500 With Parnelli Jones” was written, produced and directed by Car Barn’s team of Annie Walker, Michael Walker and Travis Knox.
Knox comes from the studio system were he served as an executive producer on such films as “The Bucket List” and “Hairspray”. He most recently produced the independent feature “The Barber” starring Sun Valley’s own Scott Glenn.
Annie Walker was a producer on the A&E series, “Strange Days with Bob Saget” and currently has three shows in pre-production with Car Barn Productions. Previously, the Walkers spent more than two decades managing sponsor activation with teams, drivers, and sponsors in IndyCar and NASCAR.
The Sun Valley Film Festival brings together 3500 festival goers to enjoy over 60 films, partiesand panels in a majestic mountain town with longstanding Hollywood roots. In five short years, SVFF has become a tent-pole event on Sun Valley’s social calendar. Alongside such “must attend” events as Allen & Company Conference, Sun Valley Wine Auction, Writers Conference and the Sun Valley Summer Symphony. This year they will honor three-time Academy Award winner, Oliver Stone with their annual Lifetime Achievement Award.
For more information contact: pr@carbarnproductions.com
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