My pictures of “Coldwater” World Premiere Q&A at 2013 SXSW Film Festival

On Wednesday, March 13, 2013 I attended the gala World Premiere of Coldwater at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas. The sold-out screening was held at the legendary Alamo Ritz. The film was a selection in the Narrative Spotlight section.

PJ Boudousqué is Brad Lunders, a troubled teen hauled off to a promising "camp" for troubled kids in a last gasp effort at rehabilitation before incarceration becomes the only option. There's a retired Marine colonel, James C. Burns, barking orders as the requisite confident commander and drill sergeant. A magnificent ensemble cast of camp counselors, young inmates, family, and friends bring the narrative to life with stunning authenticity. Coldwater is based on incidents which have been well documented across the country. Director/co-writer/producer Vincent Grashaw, with co-writer Mark Penney, has taken these true stories and crafted a powerful work that transcends the genre and leaves the viewer emotionally drained.

Kudos to cinematographer Jayson Crothers, editor Eddie Mikasa, production designer Geoff Flint, and composers Chris Chatham and Mark Miserocchi for the low budget indie's impressively high production values. Coldwater was produced by Kris Dorrance and Dave Gare, along with Grashaw, who produced the 2011 Sundance hit and 2012 Independent Spirit double nominee Bellflower. Joe Bilotta and Mike Dorrance served as Executive Producers for Flying Pig Productions and Skipping Stone Entertainment in association with Gare Farrand Entertainment.

Coldwater is a slow burn, but stay with it. I found myself seamlessly slipping from "I've seen this before" territory to "I have no idea how it happened but I don't want this to end." I gave Coldwater five stars and a place on my 2013 SXSW Film Festival Top 8 Narratives.

See my full-length review and video interviews with Grashaw, Boudousqué, and Burns.

Director/co-writer/producer Vincent Grashaw took the stage after the screening for a poignant and informative Q&A session. He was joined by cast and crew including executive producer Joe Bilotta, co-writer Mark Penney, composers Chris Chatham and Mark Miserocchi, and stars PJ Boudousqué, James C. Burns, Nick Bateman, Chris Petrovski, Clayton LaDue, and Scott MacArthur.

Here are some pictures I shot during the Q&A:


Q&A GALLERY (53 photos on 3 pages)

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