Class Note 1997
Issue
Sep - Oct 2017
Congratulations to writer-director Jeannie Donohoe on the release of her short film, Game. Produced by the Weinstein Co. through the Lexus Short Films program, Game tells the story of a high school sophomore, A.J., who moves to a new school and tries out for the state champion boys’ basketball team. A.J. demonstrates incredible skill on the court but is hiding a secret. Game also features a nice performance by three-time NBA champion Rick Fox as the tough but caring coach.
Game premiered at the Napa Valley Film Festival last fall and made its online debut in June.
Jeannie told JoesDaily.com she was drawn to make Game by her passion for basketball. “I love learning the stories of players, coaches and the history of the game. Without giving too much away, I admired the theme of overcoming obstacles, to get as far as you can in pursuit of one’s dreams.”
Jeannie said she wants the audience to draw inspiration from the story. “We follow a character who really wants to achieve something and we see the struggles along the way, including some of the expectations and limitations put on the protagonist. At the end I hope our audience feels connected to the journey and hopefully feels inspired.”
Check out the powerful 15-minute Game at bit.ly/LSFGame.
Jeannie also has written and directed several short films, including Lambing Season, which centers on an American woman who travels to the Irish countryside posing as a stranger to locate her long-lost father. The short was selected for more than 50 film festivals and named one of the “Best Short Films of 2014” by Indiewire.
Jeannie, who now calls Los Angeles home, graduated with honors from Columbia with an M.F.A. in directing. She also earned a master’s in education while teaching middle school in the South Bronx through Teach for America. She has received the HBO Young Filmmakers Development Award, a Film Manufacurers Inc. fellowship and teaching fellowships at Columbia and Barnard.
Jeannie is currently developing her first feature-length film, Flock, which is thematically related to Lambing Season and also set in Ireland.
Take care and keep sending your news.
—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com
Game premiered at the Napa Valley Film Festival last fall and made its online debut in June.
Jeannie told JoesDaily.com she was drawn to make Game by her passion for basketball. “I love learning the stories of players, coaches and the history of the game. Without giving too much away, I admired the theme of overcoming obstacles, to get as far as you can in pursuit of one’s dreams.”
Jeannie said she wants the audience to draw inspiration from the story. “We follow a character who really wants to achieve something and we see the struggles along the way, including some of the expectations and limitations put on the protagonist. At the end I hope our audience feels connected to the journey and hopefully feels inspired.”
Check out the powerful 15-minute Game at bit.ly/LSFGame.
Jeannie also has written and directed several short films, including Lambing Season, which centers on an American woman who travels to the Irish countryside posing as a stranger to locate her long-lost father. The short was selected for more than 50 film festivals and named one of the “Best Short Films of 2014” by Indiewire.
Jeannie, who now calls Los Angeles home, graduated with honors from Columbia with an M.F.A. in directing. She also earned a master’s in education while teaching middle school in the South Bronx through Teach for America. She has received the HBO Young Filmmakers Development Award, a Film Manufacurers Inc. fellowship and teaching fellowships at Columbia and Barnard.
Jeannie is currently developing her first feature-length film, Flock, which is thematically related to Lambing Season and also set in Ireland.
Take care and keep sending your news.
—Jason Casell, 10106 Balmforth Lane, Houston, TX 77096; jhcasell@gmail.com