Outsider Art/True Crime Doc A Long Hard Streak Hits
Film Fest Knox - Set For Pbs, And Amazon Prime

Focusing on the life and legacy of outlaw, artist, FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive, and Tennessee native Billy Dean Anderson, the insightful documentary will be broadcast on PBS early next year.

The artistic life of Billy Dean Anderson is front and center in Scott Rabideau’s directorial debut A LONG HARD STREAK. Executive produced by Projected Picture Works (Sean Penn, John Palmer, John Wildermuth) the documentary tells the story of outlaw, preacher, artist, and FBI fugitive Billy Dean Anderson. Billy was born and raised in rural Pall Mall, Tennessee by his grandparents. After becoming a preacher at a young age, his life took a drastic turn to crime. Billy’s decades-spanning criminal career included multiple imprisonments, three shootouts with the law, three prison escapes, and culminated with an addition to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. Anderson was a prolific criminal and outsider artist who survived in a remote Tennessee cave for almost five years while on the run from the FBI. The cave became his home, spiritual refuge, and art studio. The film asks the probing question: after Billy’s tumultuous and conflicted life, did his art, and immersion in nature, bring some form of redemption?

A LONG HARD STREAK recently received three awards at Doc LA film festival presented by the Parajanov-Vartanov Institute in Los Angeles - Best Director (Scott Rabideau), Best Composer (Dario Forzato), and the Parajanov-Vartanov Institute award for Sean Penn. The film has also been selected for the Made In Tennessee lineup for Film Fest Knox and will screen on Saturday, November 8th at 5:15 pm at Regal Riviera 1. Future festivals are planned, and Q & As will follow multiple screenings that include director Scott Rabideau and special guests who appear in the film.

Director and Producer Scott Rabideau is also a family member of Billy’s. Scott’s mother, Mary Matthews-Rabideau, was Billy’s first cousin and remembers when the FBI was embedded in the area in the 70s. Scott’s relatives grew up in Pall Mall and some were directly involved in the story, including author Kay Wood Conatser who wrote the book Billy Dean Anderson – A Criminal Life. After Kay and Scott met they began working together to bring Billy’s visual story to life, especially in respect to Billy’s artwork. Together they filmed many paintings, carvings, and drawings in local homes and churches throughout the area.

From Scott Rabideau: “Despite Billy's wild life of crime, what really drew me to this story was his creative drive. I couldn’t imagine living in a cave for this long – surviving, writing, and painting while the FBI was conducting a nationwide manhunt. It was fascinating he chose to be creative at all, to use his artwork as a tool to communicate with friends and loved ones when he was in hiding. For me, the film is about the power of art to pull you out of your darkest moments, and I think it did that for Billy”.

The film has also played at multiple community screenings and hybrid screening/art exhibit events in rural counties throughout Tennessee. Multiple paintings created by Anderson were discovered during these events which were supported by Humanities Tennessee, Tennessee Arts Commission, Grasshopper Film, along with other community partners. The 60 minute version of the film will broadcast on PBS in the coming months, and the feature length film will be available on Amazon Prime Video. Visit longhardstreak.com or facebook.com/longhardstreak for updates.

For a taste of the film, audiences can check out the official trailer and get more info here.