When YouTube came along, Mr. Heyn played Web enforcer, pulling down bootleg copies of the movie and uploading teaser excerpts to drive DVD sales.

WSJ: Remembering 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot'

Heyn and Krulik began selling "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" on DVD.

WSJ: Remembering 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot'

"We spent two hours there, and we're still talking about it 25 years later, " says Jeff Krulik, who with his friend John Heyn created the film "Heavy Metal Parking Lot, " when they were 25 and 28 years old, respectively.

WSJ: Remembering 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot'

Jane Heyn, the festival organiser and wife of the British ambassador to Burma, said she first had the idea for the event two years ago, but her plans lay dormant for more than a year, as until recently it would have been impossible for foreign writers to be granted visas to attend.

BBC: Burma holds its first global literary festival