Hoping to keep the crowd ‘Spellbound’

Cassady Jeremias

Newcomers to filmmaking Jeff Blitz and Sean Welch will be at today’s

film festival to answer questions about their Academy Award-nominated

documentary, “Spellbound.”

The film focuses on eight American children and their families as

they make their way through the National Spelling Bee. Joining the

filmmakers will be speller Neil Kadakia and his San Clemente family.

Welch said their film is filled with rich, beautifully complex

American stories.

“When we started, we thought the National Spelling Bee would be a

window to America, but it turned out to be a dramatic background for

American families living the American dream.”

Newport Beach Film Festival marketing director Todd Quartarero

said the decision to use the film in the festival was made even

before it was nominated for an award.

“This is an amazing documentary,” he said. “This one stood out

among the more than 1,000 entries we received.”

“Spellbound” has been shown at more than 50 festivals since it was

made and will make rounds through the summer in Australia, Ireland

and Israel. So far, Welch has been to 20.

“I think audiences always enjoy filmmakers being there,” he said.

“There is a strong slate of documentaries at this festival, and

the more people who see ours, the more people will know about us,”

Welch said. “We were just a couple of unknowns here in L.A.”

The two had to get 14 different credit cards to fund the film,

convince contestants and their families to be part of the project and

learn how to use the film equipment. Upon hearing of the Academy

Award nomination, Welch said he was thrilled.

“It was unexpected. When Jeff and I started in 1998, we thought it

would just be the two of us and our families who would see the film,”

he said.

He said they woke up early on Feb. 11 when the nominations were

announced. Knowing that their category would not be announced live,

he said he kept checking the Internet.

“At 5:45 a.m., it came up. As I was dialing Jeff, I could see his

number on my caller I.D.”

Welch said that, most of all, he really appreciated the

relationships he forged while filming, especially with the families.

He said they hope to put those contestants who did not make it to the

nationals, and therefore not onto the film, on the DVD.

The film will be shown at 3:30 this afternoon at the Lido Theater.