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The Fishing Hat Bandit

The Fishing Hat Bandit

The Fishing Hat Bandit

Dir. Mark R Brown
81 min

World Premiere
Director Mark Brown & Special Guest Attending

He was known as “the Fishing Hat Bandit” when he robbed 23 banks in Minnesota over 18 months in the early 2000s. Finally caught, imprisoned, and now free, John Whitrock’s story unfolds in utterly surprising ways in director Mark Brown’s riveting documentary.

John Whitrock kept everyone in law enforcement on their toes during his year-and-a-half long crime spree—while donning his signature bucket hat. By the time he hit a dozen banks, he was making headlines across the state and beyond. Finally captured by a SWAT team that found him hiding in a trunk, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and soon forgotten. Director Mark Brown hunts down Whitrock, now an old man, and finds a former felon struggling to adjust to life outside of a federal prison, and trying to find some sort of grace and redemption.

Film Details

Program: MN Made
Release Year: 2024
Runtime: 81 min
Country/Region: USA
Language: English
Print Source: Twin Town Films
Tags: Best of Fest, Crime, Criminal Justice, Documentary, Guest Attending, MN Made

Cast/Crew

Director: Mark R Brown
Producer: Chris Newberry, Mark Brown
Screenwriter: Mark Brown, Nick Clausen
Editor: Nick Clausen
Composer: Charlie McCarron