Monday, November 5, 2007

Director of OFF THE BLACK Awarded Sundance Fellowship

Writer/Director/Athens native, James Ponsoldt has been awarded the 2007 Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Felllowship for his screenplay "Refresh, Refresh" by the Sundance Institute. Conversely, my screenplay "Back Button, Back Button" received a harsh rebuke from the Sundance Institute. That smug Redford thinks he's better than me...

But back to the winner, Ponsoldt will receive a cash stipend, a Sundance screenplay reading and advice from screenwriters John August (Go, Big Fish, The Nines) and Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia, Gross Anatomy, Painted Veil). I will be hiding in his luggage because August is one of my favorite screenwriters and I want him to sign my copy of Big Fish. I'm sure all parties involved are totally cool with that.

Ponsoldt won the 2003 Perfect Pitch contest at that year's Atlanta Film Festival, and his directoral debut OFF THE BLACK, starring Nick Nolte and a 2006 Sundance selection, was released on DVD earlier this spring. Conversely, my directorial debut GRANDMA'S 75th BIRTHDAY was released on DVD by using iMovie and burning it to a rewritable DVD and then giving it to my mother.