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This feature length documentary is a heartfelt story of Bill Petrie, a man loved by the myriad of friends and family he left behind who, in their candid interviews, weave the rich story of a local hero.

Bill Petrie was a tobacco farmer, artist, political activist and passionate gay man living in the rural bluegrass of Grant County, Kentucky. He was a prolific painter, whose work always seemed to tell a story. After college in Kentucky, Bill spent the formative years of his art training and coming out in NYC during the heyday of Keith Haring and Andy Warhol.

In Dreams Awake provides a vivid glimpse of a man, his work and the impact his life had and continues to have on others. Bill's accidental death reinforced the message he spread to those around him, to live, live, live and to follow the heart, which is what the film so tenderly captures.

This film cuts a fresh path through the genre by avoiding old clichés. It's a peek at where a generation has been and how the collective memories of a group, held together by one common thread, create a lasting legacy and tribute to their friend, brother, uncle…lover.