Longtime MPI filmmakers Austin and Meredith Bragg—collectively known as The Bragg Brothers—recently sat down with the popular podcast Indie Film Craft, which explores the creative journeys of today’s most innovative filmmakers. In this hour-long episode, the Braggs pulled back the curtain on the making of Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game, their MPI Original Films feature that has won praise from critics and audiences alike.

The film tells the true story of Roger Sharpe, a mild-mannered journalist who helped overturn New York City’s 35-year ban on pinball in 1976 by proving, live in court, that the game was one of skill, not chance. With humor, heart, and a bold narrative style, Pinball brings to life a forgotten slice of American history and the quirky idealist who changed it.

Indie Film Craft host Jeffrey Crane Graham, a filmmaker and script consultant himself, spotlighted Pinball as a standout in the crowded biopic genre. He described the film as: “Fast, fun, emotionally grounded, and visually alive, with bold camera work, unreliable narration, fourth-wall breaks, and a touch of Martin Scorsese energy.”

The conversation covered everything from building trust with MPI over years of collaboration to navigating the challenges of shooting during the pandemic and how their offbeat creative choices helped the film break out. 

The Braggs emphasized that their approach—partly shaped by MPI’s early support for their award-winning MPI Original short film A Piece of Cake—was rooted in a desire to make something distinct.

MPI greenlit Pinball despite it being, in Meredith’s words, “exactly the kind of film they said they didn’t want—period, biopic—but they believed in us.”

With a 95 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and streaming across Hulu, Apple TV, and Prime Video, Pinball reflects what’s possible when original storytelling is supported by the kind of trust and partnership MPI strives to offer filmmakers.

Listen to the full episode of Indie Film Craft here to hear more about how the film came together.