Seasons Greetings!

Happy holidays from all of us at Spark Media!

There is a lot of excitement in the air and some wonderful projects brewing, so be sure to stay tuned as the year turns and 2010 begins!

Be safe and much love,

The Sparklers

Soul of a People nominated for the WGA Award

This just in. The script for Soul of a People: Writing America's Story has been nominated for a WGA Award! Congratulations to the film's co-writers - David Taylor & Olive Emma Bucklin & Andrea Kalin (who also directed the film). The winner will be announced on February 20, 2010.

Congratulations to all the nominees - below is a complete list for the nominees in the category, Documentary, Other Than Current Events:

“The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln” (American Experience), Written by Barak Goodman; PBS

The National Parks: Americas Best Idea, “Episode Two: 1890-1915: The Last Refuge,” Written by Dayton Duncan; PBS

“The Trials of J. Robert Oppenheimer” (American Experience), Written by David Grubin; PBS

Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story, Written by David A. Taylor, Olive Emma Bucklin, Andrea Kalin; Smithsonian Channel

“We Shall Remain: Episode Three: Trail of Tears” (American Experience), Written by Mark Zwonitzer; PBS

“We Shall Remain: Episode Two: Tecumseh’s Vision” (American Experience), Written by Ric Burns; PBS

Thank you to everyone who attended the Soul of a People screening at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The documentary played to a full house and was received by a wildly enthusiastic audience. After the show, director Andrea Kalin and co-producer/co-writer David Taylor introduced a surprise guest to the audience - Stetson Kennedy! One of the last living alumni of the Federal Writers' Project, the 93-year old Kennedy traveled all the way from Florida in order to attend the event, and was welcomed with a well-deserved standing ovation from the packed house.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Nona Martin and Jeanny Kim at the Smithsonian Institution for organizing this special event, and also thank Tom Phelps, Director of Public Programs at the NEH, and David Royle, Executive Vice President for Programming and Production at the Smithsonian Channel, who both gave a passionate and eloquent introduction to the film.

And thank you for everyone who attended. We hope you enjoyed the show!

Special Screening

Here Ye Here Ye: You are cordially invited for a special screening of Soul of a People: Writing America's Story at the plush 400 seat Smithsonian American Art Museum's McEvoy Auditorium this Wednesday, December 9th. It's a calling-all-cars-affair, with all the members of the production team, from cameraman to director, present. The evening will also feature honored guests and a surprise visit from a very special friend whose identity is being kept hush-hush. Join us and bring a friend.