Local Documentary Selected For Sundance Film Festival
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
A slice of Warsaw life is hitting the Sundance Film Festival in Utah in January.
According to sundance.org, "American Teen" is one of the movies competing in the documentary category. Under the listing for the film, the Web site says about the film: "This irreverent cinéma vérité chronicles four seniors at an Indiana high school and yields a surprising snapshot of Midwestern life."In August 2005, the Warsaw School Board gave director Nanette Burstein permission to film "American Teen" with Warsaw Community High School students and at the school. Filming of the documentary started in September 2005, and was completed after the end of the 2005-06 school year. It followed WCHS seniors during their last high school year.
Jennifer Shepherd, WCHS assistant principal, said, "It was a big deal to get in (Sundance). They were excited to get in."
One of the goals of the makers of the film was to get it into the festival, she said. After Sundance, Shepherd said the filmmakers hope to give it a spring premiere in Warsaw, then a movie theater premiere before showcasing it on the cable station A&E.
While many WCHS students are shown in the film, four are featured. Those students, according to Shepherd, include Colin Clemens, Megan Krizmanich, Jacob Tusing and Hannah Bailey.
Burstein previously filmed the Oscar-nominated documentary "On the Ropes," among other series and films. Her 2002 film "The Kid Stays in the Picture," about legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans, premiered at Sundance and Cannes, receiving many critics awards after being released in movie theaters worldwide.
"American Teen" is getting its world premiere at Sundance.
Wednesday, Sundance Institute announced the line-up of films selected from a record number of submissions for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions for the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance Film Festival provides audiences with opportunities to discover today's most innovative films, according to the Sundance Web site. In addition to the four competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections. The 2008 Sundance Film Festival runs Jan. 17-27 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival
A press release on the film festival's Web site states, "For the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, 121 feature-length films were selected, including 87 world premieres, 14 North American premieres and 12 U.S. premieres representing 25 countries with 55 first-time filmmakers, including 32 in competition. These films were selected from 3,624 feature film submissions composed of 2,021 U.S. and 1,603 international feature-length films. These numbers represent an increase from last year when 1,852 U.S. and 1,435 international feature-length films were considered."
In the documentary competition, the Web site states, "These films represent a broad section of new documentaries by American independent filmmakers. From examinations of the American political system and the country's use of natural resources to explorations of cultural development and intimate portraits of legendary artists, these films represent a thematic and artistic variety. This year's 16 films were selected from a record 953 submissions. Each film is a world premiere."
