WORDPLAY

DC Premiere

What do Former President Bill Clinton, the Indigo Girls, Ken Burns, and Bob Dole have in common? Crossword puzzles!

The New York Times Crossword Editor and NPR puzzle master, Will Shortz, is a serious celebrity among crossword puzzle fans. Patrick Creadon's intelligent and quirky documentary WORD-PLAY introduces us to Shortz, his puzzle-making colleagues, and the community of enthusiastic and quick-witted puzzle fanatics who get as excited about the daily puzzles as any sports fan does about the weekend game.

Engrossing and lighthearted, the film gives us an inside look at the creation of the word puzzles and explores puzzles as a cultural phenomenon in interviews with Clinton, Dole, and Burns, among others, as well as hysterical commentary by DAILY SHOW host Jon Stewart. The climax of the film is the exciting final round of the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, a rather unique competition hosted each year by Shortz in Stanford, Connecticut and carrying a $4,000 grand prize.

A "TimesTalk" Q&A with Will Shortz and Patrick Creadon will follow the screening in the theater. After the Q&A ticket holders are invited to participate in a crossword challenge hosted by Will Shortz in the Cinema Lounge on Sunday, June 18 at 3:00 PM.

Borders Books and Music in Silver Spring will host a book signing with Will Shortz at 12:00 p.m.

-Jody Arlington

Sponsored by

DIRECTOR BIO
Patrick Creadon is a Chicago native who began his career as one of the youngest cameramen in the history of PBS. He earned his master's degree in cinematography at AFI, where his thesis film was nominated for a student Academy Award. Creadon lives in Los Feliz, California with his wife and two daughters. WORDPLAY is his directorial debut.

Print Source:
Peter M. Kindlon, IFC Films
11 Penn Plaza, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10001
917.542.6385
pkindlon@ifcfilms.com

6/18 at 1:00 PM

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