Documentary looks into Robert Redford's 'The Natural,' which celebrates its 30th anniversary

Indiegogo project breathes new life into classic sports film

Producer/director Bill Cowell tackles behind-the-scenes documentary celebrating the 30th anniversary of sports movie favorite

Producer and director Bill Cowell has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to fund post-production efforts for his documentary, "The Natural: The Best There Ever Was." The film, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the beloved baseball movie "The Natural," features exclusive interviews with star Robert Redford, Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson, Academy Award-winning producer Mark Johnson, writer Roger Towne, Academy Award winner Kim Basinger, Academy Award winning-cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, Academy Award-winning composer Randy Newman, Wilford Brimley, Academy Award nominee Barbara Hershey and many others. Backers who wish to support this project have until Feb. 9 to contribute to the documentary.

"The Natural: The Best There Ever Was" goes back in time to the filming of "The Natural," with intimate interviews from nearly everybody associated with the movie, never-before-seen footage, memories from the film, and it offers a window into the making of the film that launched an era of classic sports movies.

Most of the initial filming has been completed, and funds produced on Indiegogo will go straight to post-production costs.

Cowell, no stranger to Hollywood's greatest performers, said of the project, "I want to share (these) stories. They need to be told. Shooting this film was truly an amazing experience - by far the most rewarding project that I have ever worked on."

"The Natural: The Best There Ever Was" offers A-list rewards to contributors, above and beyond what is typical of Indiegogo projects. These range from access to updates about the film for $10, to film credits and autographs from the A-List cast for $500, to VIP meet-and-greets with cast and crew starting at $1,000. The project is on track to hit its goal of $150,000, which will cover post-production costs, including editing, special effects, pending interviews, marketing and distribution.

Cowell is an established producer/director with many years of experience in the film industry. He is also the founder of The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival.

Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform where companies, artists, inventors and entrepreneurs can showcase their ideas for projects and receive funding from the public. Indiegogo has successfully helped fund thousands of independent projects, helping to raise millions of dollars from supporters.