Flying In: My Adventures in Filmmaking

This is a story told from the inside out, showcasing the perspective of a woman who started with no connections, beat the odds, and rose to produce international hit films. 

It’s the grit and glam of 1990s New York City—a heyday for independent movies. Wall Street throws money at indie films and big stars flock to them for prestige. Everyone wants to be a producer. Eyewitness to it all is Gretchen McGowan, a budding producer, here to relay her often humorous and absurd stories from the inside out. 

From the scrappy freelance work on location in Vietnam, Costa Rica, Spain, and Buffalo in the ’90s to the seasoned studio executive jobs in Jordan, Germany, and New York City in the ’00s, Flying In  is a ride-along from script discovery through premiere night. Follow McGowan as she produces films with directors like Jim Jarmusch, Brian De Palma, Mary Harron, and James Ivory with the gamut of stars from Mickey Rourke and Shelley Winters to Tilda Swinton and Cate Blanchett.