Drake Tucker, a senior film and new media major in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film from Fairbury, Neb., had his film “Syndicated” accepted into the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY) in Seattle, Wash., in the “Afternoon Eclectic” category.
NFFTY was founded in 2007 and has grown into the world’s largest youth film festival. Their mission is to enable, nurture, promote and encourage the next generation of filmmakers to inspire, lead and entertain the world with their stories.
This year’s festival, held April 25-28, had nearly 700 entries worldwide. Programmers selected 215 films to screen during the four-day festival, all from the future generation of talented directors aged 22 and under. More than 10,000 people were expected to attend.
“These are truly the Oscar winners and industry leaders of tomorrow,” said NFFTY Artistic Director Jesse Harris. “Imagine if you could have met Spielberg or Bigelow at 19, that’s NFFTY.”
Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film Director Paul Steger said this was a true accomplishment for Tucker.
“This is a real feather in Drake’s hat,” Steger said. “To have his film selected from approximately 700 entries from around the globe is truly an exceptional accomplishment and a testament to Drake’s artistry and commitment to the art of cinema.”
“Syndicated” is set in the 1930’s at the height of the radio-drama’s popularity. Arthur Powell, a down-on-his-luck actor, gets hired for the role of a lifetime in the first production of “Dracula.” After he botches a line live on the air, he must live with being an accidental overnight sensation.
It is the second year in a row that a Carson School film student has been accepted into NFFTY. Last year, Benito Sanchez, a senior film major from Lincoln, Neb., had his film, “Fields of Plenty,” accepted into the 2012 festival, where it won an audience award in the Afternoon Eclectic category.
“The Johnny Carson School is extremely proud to have another one of our student films at NFFTY,” Steger said. “The recognition speaks directly to the quality of our students and excellence of the film and new media program.”