Pete Sillen on Vic Chesnutt & Benjamin Smoke | Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Interview

From the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana, we sit down in the Trail 103.3 studios with filmmaker Pete Sillen, who brings two rare music documentaries to Big Sky: Speed Racer: Welcome to the World of Vic Chesnutt and Benjamin Smoke (co-directed with Jem Cohen).Pete shares how he first discovered the power of Vic Chesnutt’s songwriting in Athens, Georgia, how a chance connection through Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) helped lead to filming during the recording of West of Rome, and why these two films — tied by friendship, influence, and the Georgia music scene — create a unique “conversation” when screened together.We also talk about documentary filmmaking in a fast-changing era, why human-scale storytelling matters more than ever, and what Pete’s working on next — including his Sundance-premiered film Love Machina.Screening + Q&A (Missoula): 🎬 Saturday @ 4:30 PM — ZACC (Zootown Arts Community Center) Details + full festival schedule: bigskyfilmfest.org Film page: https://www.bigskyfilmfest.org/festival/films-2026-view/speed_racer_welcome_to_the_world_of_vic_chesnuttFilms featured:Speed Racer: Welcome to the World of Vic ChesnuttBenjamin Smoke (co-directed with Jem Cohen)