Jeff Dowd
Jeff Dowd | |
|---|---|
 Dowd in 2009 | |
| Born | November 20, 1949 |
| Occupation | Film producer |
| Relatives | Paul Sweezy (stepfather)[1] |
Jeff Dowd (born November 20, 1949) is an American film producer and political activist.
Biography
He was a member of the "Seattle Seven",[2] who were jailed for contempt of court following a violent protest against the Vietnam War. He later moved to Los Angeles and became an independent movie producer and promoter, producing such films as Zebrahead.[3] He met the Coen brothers while they were promoting their first film, Blood Simple, and was a key (though not the only) inspiration for their character Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski from The Big Lebowski.[4]
Circa 1978, Dowd was involved, with Robert Redford, in the early planning stages of the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute and has served on the advisory board for both organizations.[5][1]
In 2009, Dowd was involved in an altercation with movie critic John Anderson at the 25th Sundance Film Festival, after Anderson panned Dirt! The Movie (Dowd was the film's sales agent).[6] Anderson was eating breakfast when Dowd reportedly confronted him, and then incited a food fight and brief melee at the Yarrow Hotel Restaurant. Dowd did not press charges.[7]
In 2011, Dowd was the subject of an 18-minute documentary-short directed by Jeff Feuerzeig and broadcast on the USA Network as part of its "Character" series.[8]
He has been a supporter of PeaceJam,[1] a child mentoring organization, and the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders.[9]
Filmography
- FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) (co-executive producer)
- Zebrahead (1992) (producer)
- Cement (1999) (co-executive producer)
- The Last Game (2002) (TV) (executive producer)
- Ocean of Pearls (2008) (executive producer)
References
- 1 2 3 "Jeff Dowd | Ebertfest". ebertfest.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2026. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
- ↑ Raz, Guy (May 25, 2008). "The Dude: A Little Lebowski, Alive in All of Us". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ↑ Maslin, Janet (October 8, 1992). "Zebrahead (1992) Review/Film Festival: Zebrahead; A Racial Chameleon In a Hidebound World". The New York Times.
- ↑ Sullivan, Jennifer (July 21, 2009). ""The Dude" abides on light rail". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on July 25, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
- ↑ Ross, Matthew (April 14, 2003). "INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: A Dude with a Vision; Jeff Dowd Talks Shop and Strategy". IndieWire. Retrieved July 28, 2026.
- ↑ Ramos, Steve (January 21, 2009). "Critic Hits Dude at Sundance". Vulture. www.vulture.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018.
- ↑ Thompson, Anne (January 21, 2009). "Sundance Watch". Indiewire. www.Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2026.
- ↑ Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Kasia (August 28, 2012). "The Dude Who Inspired 'The Dude' in the Coen Brothers' 'The Big Lebowski'". theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
- ↑ Smith, Jeremy (March 10, 2023). "The Story Of Jeff Dowd, The Real Dude Who Inspired The Dude In The Big Lebowski". SlashFilm. Retrieved July 28, 2026.