Teachers’ Film Premieres at Festival

Upper School teachers Travis Chandler and Dan Greenstone’s new documentary premiered at Facets’ Chicago Film Frenzy Festival.

Chandler and Greenstone’s Surviving Zendik Farm tells the stories of survivors of the Zendik Farm Arts Cooperative—a controversial, environmentally focused intentional community and commune that operated from 1969 until 2013. In addition to premiering at Facets’ Chicago Film Frenzy Festival, the film was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

Chandler and Greenstone are the dynamic duo who team-teach Parker’s longstanding Creating Historical Documentary course. Chandler teaches in the Art Department, Greenstone in the History Department, and when the two combine their talents, they have guided and inspired Parker students in original historical documentaries that have been screened at festivals around the country and won awards as well.

This year, two student pieces have been selected for screenings in the Youth Diversity Film Festival on Saturday, May 2 at the Regal at LA Live Theater in Los Angeles. Parker congratulates senior Heath Albert, junior Jonathan Backx and senior Nathan Pantoja for the selection of their film No Human Is Illegal and seniors Ava Farhat, Wesley Knights and Chase Wayland for the selection of their film To The Grave: Segregation in Chicago Cemeteries.

Check out a trailer for Surviving Zendik Farm here.
Check out an archive of original student-made historical documentaries here.
Click here for photos.