AUTHOR | FILMMAKER | MUSICIAN | CREATOR
I AM
JOE FRAZIER
"A brilliant film...This remarkable film by Pete McCormack...will surprise and illuminate you, no matter what you think you already now about Joe Frazier...It is a piece of art that needed to be made."
—Al Bernstein, Ring Magazine
"Pete possesses the greatest breadth and the most intellectual speed of any creative soul I know, and I know many. He has pushed and inspired and kicked my ass into songwriting, album production, novel writing and even the definition and exhibition of lovingkindness."
—Vince R Ditrich, author of The Liquor Vicar Trilogy
"Pete McCormack is an unstoppable creative force. He will inspire and elevate your writing."
—Daniele Bolelli, History on Fire
“Hey, Songwriter is inspiring, irreverent, funny and full of fantastic pop trivia. Every chapter sparked great ways to approach, re-think and create better songs. The positive effect on my creativity and output was exhilarating. Read it. Use it. Steal it!”
-David Ramos, Composer, Johnny Cash: American Rebel
"[Facing Ali is the] greatest boxing film and one of the greatest sports films I've ever seen."
—Dr. Harry Edwards, The Revolt of the Black Athlete
NEW RELEASES
FILMS
Facing Ali
Ali is the GOAT for so many reasons. The ten boxers Ali fought in Facing Ali? Legends. Loved those guys and their incredible stories. The film was short-listed for an Oscar. Yeah, I am proud of it. Nostalgic heaven. And Ali's life is remarkable.
Uganda Rising
Uganda Rising was a privilege to make, with huge responsibility. A note of caution, the film is heavy and there are some brutal images.
I Am Bruce Lee
I am not Bruce Lee. An original who made being a mystic and a fighter beyond cool. His time was short but his effect was monumental. Legend among legends.
Spirit Unforgettable
John Mann was a pure artist. His brave journey fighting Alzheimer's taught me a lot about dignity and love. May it do the same for you. And Spirit of the West is brilliant. Watch for free at the link above..
I Am Joe Frazier
What an honour to make I Am Joe Frazier, meet Joe in 2008, meet his closest friends, and get to put a bookend on Facing Ali. Joe's life was extraordinary. What a champion!
See Grace Fly
The first full-length film I ever directed and only fictional feature . Great experience in independent filmmaking. Grace and her brother rocked.
Sports On Fire - HBO Series
The concept for Sports on Fire: when sports and history collide, the whole world watches. Berlin '36, Munich '72, Steroids everywhere, Gender testing, NASCAR and moonshine, the Summit Series. Check out an episode here ( A Cold War).
I made these two short films for the wonderful Echo Storytelling Agency. Anybody in your life that you love? Tell them now. You never know. #TellThemNow got over a million views in the first two weeks after launch and was featured in media around the world.
MUSIC
My first album. 24-Track, 2-inch tape. Fab players. Paul Hyde. Spirit of the West. Brad Turner. Marty Howard. Brent Gubbels. Colleen Eccleston. Robbie Steininger. Vince Ditrich. Here's a Spotify link. Here's an Apple Music link.ere'
Album 2. Recorded in a studio, a living room and a shed on something called DAT. Got a great story from Abbey Road out of it. Got to tour Canada. Got to play wth great players. I got to sing. Here's a Spotify Link to Trust and more.
BOOKS
My Last Friends on Earth
My Last Friends on Earth is complete. Three kids trying to stop an alien force from finishing off the human species. How much fun is that? Fun, but stressful. But, hey, that's life on Earth 103 years in the future.
Understanding Ken
In this beloved Canadian novel, a ten-year old kid obsessed with hockey finds his life torn apart by divorce. To cope, he blames NHL goaltending legend Ken Dryden for all of his family and hockey troubles. Hilarious and heartfelt, Understanding Ken is a testimony to childhood, family, friends and resilience.
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Hey, Writer was made to inspire and encourage you in your writing process. That's why I quote all those writer legends who actually know what they're doing. May you become one of those writer legends—or at least, the best you can be.
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Live a Little
My first novel. The first query letter was rejected. A week later, having accidentally sent the same query letter twice, the same publisher who declined said, "Sure, send us three chapters." Done. Nice to know somebody liked a neurotic 19-year old kid who abandons all his academic dreams, masturbates too much and still manages to find his way. No, not me. The character.
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Hey, Songwriter was written in the same joyous flow as Hey, Writer, with the same goal to encourage and inspire. Plus it has tons of pop trivia.
THE MISSION
"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it."
—Kurt Vonnegut
"You wanna fly? You gotta give up the shit that weighs you down."
—Toni Morrison
Mission? What mission?
To keep creating. To be inspired by failure. To not be deceived by success. To be supportive. To believe in the process. Because we are in the process. Write more books. Novels. Non-fiction. Screenplays. Make more music. Make more films. To put it out. Collaborate more. To be less afraid. To let go. To celebrate small victories. I can do that.
And if on this mission of creating, I can encourage and inspire you to begin, to continue, and even finish whatever you're creating, that would be fantastic. Here’s to your life.
BIO
Hey. Yeah you. Create something.
Writer, filmmaker, musician. Recently completed the film I Am Joe Frazier and my third novel, My Last Friends on Earth. The story takes place a century in the future. My other novels, Understanding Ken and Live a Little, were written in the previous century. I've penned several produced feature screenplays in between. Some I even liked. A couple helped me with the down payment on my house. Thanks for that.
I recently wrote Hey, Writer about the writing life, to encourage you in your creative process. I've done the same for songwriters in Hey, Songwriter, even though I've never written a hit, to help you write your next or first great song.
My documentary Facing Ali was Oscar short-listed in 2009. Spirit Unforgettable won Audience Choice awards at Toronto's Hot Docs and VIFF in 2016 (watch it here). I've won a few other awards, too, but I can't remember exactly what or why. I'm working on a film about Smokin' Joe Frazier, and pitching one on the creator of Star Trek.
I created, wrote and directed a 6-part HBO Canada documentary series called Sports on Fire. Other award-winning films I've written and directed include Uganda Rising, I Am Bruce Lee—at the time Spike TV’s highest watched documentary ever—and a scripted feature called See Grace Fly.
I’ve done ad work for Echo Storytelling Agency that has garnered millions of views on multiple platforms.
My music has been used in film, T.V. and Digital Media and it's all streaming away on Spotify. Check it out. I still dream of writing that perfect pop song, also known as a mental illness.
I live in Vancouver with S, B and J, and they're great. I don't have a dog but I like dogs.
Potentially creative boy sitting on a large, red apple
