‘No Ordinary Passenger,’ the short film about Stan Dibben, a motorcycle racing legend of the 1950’s, will be featured at The 2nd annual Motorcycle Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY on Saturday, September 27th 2014.
The film stars Dibben, a remarkably witty and spry British man, now 88 years of age, who in 1953 won the World Motorcycle Sidecar Championship. Mr. Dibben, who raced at the Isle of Man and elsewhere in the post- war era, recounts the excitement and perils of sidecar racing in 1950’s Europe. In the film, Mr. Dibben takes great umbrage at the term ‘passenger’ as applied to his role in racing.
“Racing sidecar in the Grand Prix era required stamina, fitness and fearlessness'”says Dibben. “The passenger and driver work together as a team, equally important, and the slightest miscalculation can lead to deadly results.”
“No Ordinary Passenger” had it’s US debut at the 2013 LA Sports Film Festival where it won a bronze medal. It won best short film at The British Documentary Film Festival earlier this year. It is the directorial debut of Cabell Hopkins, a London-based filmmaker and commercial producer.
“When I was a lad, Stan would drive me to school on occasion, and tell me stories of his remarkable life,” says Hopkins. “This film only scratches the surface of one the most interesting and accomplished men I’ve ever known.”
Festival co- founder Corinna Mantlo said, “The massive, youthful rise of today’s motorbike culture has inspired myriad filmmakers to produce two-wheel feature films. ‘No Ordinary Passenger’ provides today’s enthusiasts with a glimpse of Stan Dibben, a pioneer, a true innovator in his day.”
Dibben’s life story, one that takes him from the British Armed Forces in World War II to professional jazz trumpeter, to daredevil motorcycle racer and road tester, to businessman, inventor and beyond, is captured in his autobiography, ‘Hold On’ which is available as a digital download on Amazon.
About the Motorcycle Film Festival
The Motorcycle Film Festival was founded in 2013 by a group of NYC motorcyclists and independent filmmakers, led by Jack Drury and Corinna Mantlo, to provide a home for motorcycle films from around the world, and give motorbike film enthusiasts an event to celebrate their favorite subject. It will be held on September 24–27, 2014 at The Gutter (200 North 14th Street, Williamsburg) in Brooklyn, New York. The festival will feature official screenings of short- and feature-length documentaries and narratives alongside more experimental films. Other events include screenings of classic films, filmmaker talks, an art exhibition, bands, bowling, and more. A full list of films, filmmakers, and schedules can be found at http://www.motorcyclefilmfestival.com/
