Sea Stories: Manry at Sea, the Voyage of Tinkerbelle

Steve Wystrach began making films in high school, beginning a path that would lead through film school in Chicago and a first job in the film business. A lifelong adventurer, an opportunity arose while he was backpacking through South America that triggered his move to Hollywood, where he pursued a career in film editing. Once there, he also learned to sail. In 1996, while Steve was fitting out his own boat for a voyage to Hawaii, he read Tinkerbelle, Robert Manry’s account of his 1965 transatlantic voyage in a 13 1/2 foot homebuilt boat. The book includes an entire chapter describing his craft and preparations, including a detailed list of the supplies and provisions that he carried aboard. Among them were a 16mm movie camera and 50 rolls of Kodachrome. So began a 22-year-long filmmaking journey, beginning with the search and rescue of a trove of lost footage, and ending at the world premiere in Robert Manry’s hometown, of MANRY AT SEA ~ In the Wake of a Dream, at the 2018 Cleveland International Film Festival. The film has garnered numerous international awards including several for Best Documentary Feature Film. Join us as Steve describes the production and shows scenes from the film.