Paperboy Love Prince Runs for Mayor
Paperboy Love Prince takes on the political elite in NYC's run for mayor.
Interview with Director Owen Dubeck
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Early on in the pandemic, Paperboy and I both founded non-profits that were tackling food insecurity by providing nutritious food to our communities. In Paperboy, I saw a community leader who wouldn’t take no for an answer and was resourceful in a way I hadn’t seen before.
When Paperboy announced they were running for mayor, many people laughed them off as a joke candidate. But as I got to know Paperboy more and more, I realized that there was so much more nuance to their race for mayor.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Come for the bedazzled unicorn bus parade around NYC and stay for the criticisms of the city’s political system. This is a fun one both to watch and to have filmed!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Growing up in New York, I paid little attention to politics in the city. I found that this experience isn’t uncommon, as only 23% of registered voters participated in the election that this film follows (2021 NYC Mayoral Primaries).
A core question for me personally while documenting this is what I would learn about my community’s political systems when embedded within it all. I hope that those watching will ask similar questions whether they live in the city or elsewhere.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film’s story was very much found in the edit. Through the many versions of rough cuts, we slowly started to realize which themes were rising to the top as most compelling and fitting in a short film format.
When I first started this project in 2020, it was the first major documentary project I had taken on, so lots changed throughout the process of documenting and editing this story.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The film is early on in its release journey, so most feedback is still in front of us! We premiered at NewFest, and it felt like we received some super positive reactions.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Since we’re early on, still TBD on this one!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
It’d be great to bring as many eyes to this project as possible.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We’re open to talking with anyone who wants to connect about the film and are currently looking for distribution.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love for people to walk away from the film asking themselves what financial barriers exist in their communities that would exclude non-wealthy individuals from participating in politics. From my understanding, these barriers aren’t often obvious, and if more people are aware of them, they can take steps to change them.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
In a city so culturally tied to street performances, in what ways would street performers be fitting political representatives of the city?
Would you like to add anything else?
I’d love to shout out Paperboy’s food distribution org Our Food NYC which serves nutritious food to hundreds of families each week in Brooklyn. If you’re in Brooklyn and want to volunteer, stop by The Paperboy Prince Love Gallery to get involved.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m working on a short documentary that follows a group of college students who find themselves at the forefront of solving food insecurity in the United States. We’re picture-locking next week and can’t wait for the world to see it!
Interview: January 2023
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Paperboy Love Prince Runs for Mayor
Paperboy Love Prince takes on the political elite in NYC's run for mayor.
Length: 23:01
Director: Owen Dubeck
Producer: Jenna Kelly
About the writer, director and producer:
OWEN DUBECK is a documentary filmmaker specializing in creating films that drive tangible impact. Owen's short documentaries and videos have raised $1 million+ for social causes and will continue to make a positive impact for years to come.
JENNA KELLY is an experienced documentary producer with a background in marketing and social impact campaign strategy. She joined Optimist in 2017 after driving cross-country from Washington, D.C. She recently produced Optimist’s 2020 feature documentary Five Years North and the acclaimed short The Undocumented Lawyer. Jenna is an active member of the Documentary Producers Alliance and Women in Film.
Key cast: Paperboy Love Prince
Looking for: distributors
Instagram: @owendubeck
Hashtags used: #PAPERBOYLOVEPRINCEFORMAYOR
Website: optimist.co/films/paperboy-love-prince
Other: IIMDb
Made in association with: Optimist
Funders: Optimist / Self-Financed
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Big Sky Film Festival / Missoula, MT - February 18th