In 500 Words or Less

In 500 Words or LessOVERVIEW

Language: English
Country of Origin: USA
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Medium: DVD and HD Cam
Rights: Point Made Films

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CAST & CREW

Director: Molly Fowler and Amanda Zinoman
Directors of Photography: Kat Patterson, Tom Mason, Adam Jones, Jenn Nelson, and Mira Chang
Producer: Alston Gardner and Molly Fowler
Titles and Graphics: Susan Hildebrand
Associate Editor: Carolina Williams
Executive Producer: Barb Lee
Co-Producers: Catherine Wiggington Greene and Nancy Kim Parsons
Editor: Flavia de Souza
Technical Advisor: Russel F. Santos
Original Soundtrack Composer: Pete Miser
Supervising Editor: Amanda Zinoman
Associate Producer: Emma Gardner
Producer's Representative: Ostrow and Company

REVIEW

"The lessons learned In 500 Words or Less are boundless. It is the insightful tale of how an American rite of passage, the college admission process, affects students and their families. Sensitively told and beautifully crafted, this film will enlighten anyone who sees it, especially high school students and their families, the educators in their lives, and the admission professionals who seek and select them.”
‐Jerome A. Lucido, Ph.D. Executive Director, Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice at the University of Southern California

"If you're a parent who's worried about college admission, this film will really help you. It will help you most if you see it with your son or daughter."
‐Stephen M. Farmer, Associate Provost and Director of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of North Carolina

“In 500 Words or Less does a fabulous job at portraying the dimensions of this important and frequently stressful decision.”
‐Kathleen Galotti, Director of Cognitive Studies at Carleton College

SYNOPSIS

Going to college is a rite of passage for many American high school students, but the process can be overwhelming: college fairs, tours, SATs, applications. Then there’s the personal essay. How does a seventeen year old define herself to total strangers when she’s only beginning to discover who she really is? And how can she be expected to do it in an essay of 500 words or less? Point Made Films takes you on the journey to college with four very different young people as they spend their last year at home trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. Parents and teens alike will recognize the aspirations, anxieties, disappointments and triumphs in these characters' lives. Whether you’re about to begin the process or have just come through it, you’ll ride along side Molly on her emotional roller coaster as she tries to balance her parents’ expectations with her own goals. You’ll respect Leo as he works to fulfill his mother’s American dream while trying to maintain ties to his Dominican heritage. You’ll root for Lindsay as she searches for her next home while the one she's known for 17 years gets turned upside down; and you’ll cheer for Michael as he steps out from behind his sister's Ivy League shadow to discover his own priorities.

In 500 Words or Less is a portrait of four out of the nearly 1.5 million families who go through the college admissions process each year. While race, geography and socio‐economic status affected how they got here, their stories converge as they all juggle acceptance, rejection, decision‐making, letting go, and growing up.