Tribeca | Chinn on Wire
"Man on Wire" producer Simon Chinn with Submarine's Josh Braun, who sold the film to Magnolia during Sundance 2008.
Like a great caper movie, the doc follows Philippe Petit's famous and illegal tight-rope walk across the World Trade Center towers.
Chinn told The Circuit that he pursued Petit for the doc rights for months. Petit was uncooperative but Chinn persisted.
Finally Petit said that while there were producers already attached to the World Trade Center doc, Chinn could film him walking across the Grand Canyon. Chinn was devastated, and then pissed:
"And I said no. No, I wasn't going to film him walking across the Grand Canyon. The World Trade Center walk was my film."
The Frenchman was impressed. Chinn had the rights soon after.
Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com. 
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