LOCAL FILMMAKER SCOTT RANSOM, A BIG WINNER

12 Jun LOCAL FILMMAKER SCOTT RANSOM, A BIG WINNER


”A gorgeous, moving, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting story, the kind of film that opens the mind and heart so wide they can never close as tightly again,” Martha Beck, Oprah magazine columnist and bestselling author.

May and June are turning out to be big months for Telluride local and filmmaker Scott Ransom.

At Mountainfilm in Telluride, against stiff competition at Kidz Kino (Monday, May 28), Scott triumphed at the world premiere of  his directorial debut, “Lady B,” winning the kiddos’ pick for best film for his documentary. “Lady B” tells the story of an avalanche dog from puppyhood through intense training with Telluride Ski Patroller Gary Richard. (Two- and four-legged special guests were in attendance.)

And then the White House checked in.

Directed and co-produced by Lydia Nibley of Riding Tiger Productions the documentary “Two Spirits” interweaves the tragic story of a mother’s loss of her son with a revealing look at a time when the world wasn’t simply divided into male and female and many Native American cultures held places of honor for people of integrated genders.

Fred Martinez was nádleehí, a male-bodied person with a feminine nature, a special gift according to his ancient Navajo culture. But the place where two discriminations meet is a dangerous place to live, and Fred became one of the youngest hate-crime victims in modern history when he was brutally murdered at sixteen. Between tradition and controversy, sex and spirit, and freedom and fear, lives the truth: the bravest choice you can make is to be yourself.

After breaking all records for audience engagement in the history of PBS-Independent Lens, “Two Spirits” received the Audience Award as the highest-rated film of the 2010-11 season (by online voting and other measures of audience support).

Scott Ransom was cinematographer on the project. Some time last week he received a note from Nibley announcing the fact that “Two Spirits” was selected to be screened at the White House in conjunction with a special event with President Obama in celebration of LGBT and Two-Spirit people. The White House reception is scheduled for Friday, June 15. Later in June, there will be another major screening of “Two Spirits” for several branches of government.

“Scott is a brilliant cinematographer who did a great job bringing the visual richness of the Four Corners to life in ‘Two Spirits.’ The story of the film and the information about Native cultures and gender is new to many. We’re grateful to Scott for setting the bar so high with the footage he shot. Making the film as artful as possible has helped it reach an audience of millions.” said Nibley.

Congratulations Scott.

And let us all know when you are heading to Vegas. You are clearly on a roll.

Check out Scott’s work by watching the trailer for “Two Spirits.”