Students at Warsaw Community High School can audition Wednesday for a documentary that may be made in Warsaw during their 2005-06 senior school year.

Academy Award nominated filmmaker Nanette Burstein is looking at three to four high schools in Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania - including Warsaw - to make her documentary "American Teen."

"I actually wanted to do a film on high school for years," Burstein said during an interview Friday at the high school. She said she was going to make one on high school football years ago but that didn't happen. She said she finds the age really important as a senior in high school is about to leave the nest. "It's important as far as your self identity."

Whether the documentary is made at WCHS depends on two factors - school board approval and the senior students who show up for the auditions. Burstein said she wants as many students to be at the auditions as possible who will be seniors during the 2005-06 school year.

When asked why Warsaw is one of the schools in the running for the documentary, Burstein said it's a nice town and feels like it could be representational of the U.S. It has economic and racial diversity. She said they started their search with a look at the 100 best places in America to live and Warsaw was included in that list. After they began to narrow down that list, Warsaw kept popping up.

"It's really representational," she said.

If the film is made at WCHS, Burstein said six to 10 seniors will be chosen, as well as their friends, to be filmed from the first day of school to graduation. Any student who does not want to be filmed, won't be. Burstein said most of the filming will be after school, with as little disruption at school as possible. Filming definitely will take place during lunch time, she said, as that is the most social time for students at school.

The interviews are Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students can show up anytime during those hours in Room B106. Burstein, the casting director and their assistant will be on hand to interview prospective students. A mailing was sent out to senior students, including a questionnaire and parental permission slips, the students should take with them to the interviews.

Burstein said she feels good about Warsaw and WCHS. And parents need not worry about their children being exploited. This won't be "The Real World." Burstein said they don't want to film the underbelly of society, she wants to focus on the underdog story. However, it will be a realistic documentary.

Ultimately, she said it will be broadcast on A&E, may have a theatrical release and she hopes it may premiere at Sundance or Cannes film festivals, landing eventually on DVD.

"I think it will be really great for these kids and the school," she said. "... A documentary is only as good as your subject. That's why it's important everyone turns out."

Burstein produced and directed her first feature length documentary, "On the Ropes," about three young boxers fighting their way out of Bedford Stuyvesant, N.Y. It was theatrically released nationwide and won many awards, including an Oscar nomination, the Director's Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement, the International Documentary Association Achievement Award for Best Feature Documentary and the jury award at Sundance.

In 2000, she produced and directed the five-part series, "Say in Loud: A Celebration of Black Music In America," in collaboration with Quincy Jones. It aired on VH-1 in October 2001. She co-produced and directed the 2002 film "The Kid Stays in the Picture" about the legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans. It premiered at Sundance and Cannes, was released in movie theaters worldwide and received many critics' awards. It aired on HBO and was released on DVD. She also was involved in the ten-part documentary series "Film School" and currently is serving as executive producer for American Movie Classics' "Autobiography."

"'Hoop Dreams' I loved," Burstein said of what documentaries inspired her to make films. "I loved 'Roger & Me.' All those were when I was in college. Madonna's 'Truth or Dare.' 'Unzipped.' 'Crumb.' Just fascinating films. ... I love movies both fiction and nonfiction. To me they're the same, they're about great people."

WCHS assistant principal Jennifer Shepherd said when school officials were contacted about participating in the documentary, "We thought it would be neat for our kids."

She said it was checked out thoroughly and parents and teachers had good questions about it. Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire, Shepherd said, let WCHS administrators make the decision of whether or not to participate because he said he trusted their decision.

Students also may be able to learn about the filmmaking process.

"We've just been supportive in getting the word out," said Shepherd, "to make it a good experience."

She said they want to look out for students' best interests, that's why they want parent signatures for students to participate. [[In-content Ad]]