The Man with the Big Hat (2026)
An unsung pioneer of 1970s Texas Progressive Country, Steven Fromholz had a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Revered by legends like Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett & John Denver, he remained commercially unknown. He sought redemption on the Rio Grande as a river guide until a debilitating stroke erased his musical memory, stripping Fromholz of his artistic identity. With an almost obsessive persistence bolstered by newly discovered archives as well as never-before-heard recordings, this intimate and impressionistic portrayal unveils the evolution of Fromholz, and reshapes the notion of success and artistic fortitude.
Director: Austin Lee Sayre
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Steven Fromholz as Self |
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Lyle Lovett as Self |
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Ray Benson as Self |
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Butch Hancock as Self |
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Terry Lickona as Self |
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Mike Williams as Self |
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Judie Gumm as Self |
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Dan McCrimmon as Self |
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Darcie Fromholz as Self |
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Janey Lake as Self |
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Larry Watkins as Self |
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Felicity Fromholz as Self |
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Bobby Bridger as Self |
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Larry Joe Taylor as Self |
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Austin Lee Sayre as Self |
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Willie Nelson as Self (archive footage) |
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Michael Martin Murphey as Self (archive footage) |
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Stephen Stills as Self (archive footage) |
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Joni Mitchell as Self (archive footage) |
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Robert Earl Keen as Self (archive footage) |
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Ann Richards as Self (archive footage) |
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Waylon Jennings as Self (archive footage) |
| Directing | Austin Lee Sayre | Director |
| Writing | Austin Lee Sayre | Writer |
| Production | David Broad | Producer |
| Editing | Nevie Owens | Editor |
| Production | Brian Easley | Executive Producer |
| Production | Gill Holland | Co-Producer |
| Production | Aaron Colussi | Producer |
| Production | Stephanie Moore | Producer |
| Editing | Drew Tekulve | Colorist |
| Sound | Miles Blunt | Sound |
| Sound | Miles Foster-Greenwood | Sound Post Supervisor |
| Production | John Hensley | Producer |
| Production | Darcie Fromholz | Producer |
| Production | Felicity Fromholz | Producer |
| Production | Jay Newberg | Producer |
