Carol Speed

Mack -- 'Mack' tells the story of a painter with an ambition tragically larger than his talent. Inspired by Macbeth, the film's 15-year-old writer/director worked with a cast of fellow high-schoolers to capture the suspense, violence, comic relief, and drama of a Shakespearean tale. <br> Ben Kadie conceived this reinterpretation in early summer 2010 and then refined the story at the TheFilmSchool's Prodigy Film Camp. In late summer, twelve young actors, cast from throughout the Seattle area, came together for four days and two nights of shooting. Shooting locations ranged from a dock at midnight to an apartment interior created by adding a new wall and door to Ben's living room. Using a DSLR camera gave Ben new control and low-light abilities. Six months of editing and subtle 2-D and 3-D special effects work completed the film.<br> <br> 15-year-old Ben Kadie has made films with friends for eight years. 'Perilous Skies' (2006) won the Youth Prize in the Seattle Times' Three-Minute Masterpiece Contest. The spy comedy '009' (2007) earned one of five nominations for the NFFTY/Thomson Young Innovator of the Year Award. In 2007, he won the Three-Minute Masterpiece Youth Award again with 'A Friendly Game'. 'Murder at the Pharaoh's Grave' (2009) earned a National Gold Medal from Scholastic Art and a trip to Los Angles from HBO and NFFTY. 'Sparks in the Night' (2010) won the top youth prizes from the Louisiana Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival. His films have screened in Brazil, India, and Canada and at over 20 film festivals in the U.S. The website for the films is http://slugco.com