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Did you know Jeff Bridges’ iconic character “The Dude” in the film The Big Lebowski is based after a real-life dude?

His name’s Jeff Dowd and he’s also an activist, filmmaker, writer, storyteller and a movie-marketing mastermind. He recently visited the North Coast to promote Dell’Arte’s “Mary Jane: A Musical Potumentary”, which is based around many facets of the cannabis industry in the Emerald Triangle.

The film has been shown a few times in Humboldt, but Dell’Arte was looking for ways to expand the film beyond the Redwood Curtain. It ultimately wound up in Dowd’s hands, who lives in Venice, California, and he took a liking to the story.

“For people that like breaking into song and like to be transported to a magical land that they don’t know about — like the Emerald Triangle — it serves that wonderful purpose,” said Dowd.

Dell’Arte is hopeful that with the help of Dowd the film can make it to the next level and get a distribution deal.

While in town Down made his rounds to a democratic party meeting, a chamber of commerce mixer, had an evening of bowling in Blue Lake called “The Big LeBOWLski,” and a Q&A with Humboldt State students.

In this LoCO Video Report we learn more about what “The Dude” is all about.

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