Highline Public Schools Superintendent John Welch shows off his mad air guitar skillz during filming of "The Day My Parents Became Cool" in 2009.
Local filmmaker Steve Edmiston’s short film “The Day My Parents Became Cool,” which was shot in the Burien/Normandy Park area in 2009 (see our previous coverage here), will receive its broadcast world premiere on KCTS-9 at 10 p.m. this coming Monday, Jan. 2.
The film has a unique local pedigree – not only does it feature some 150 public high school students (both in front of and behind the camera) from seven high schools in the Highline and Federal Way school districts, it also showcased former Highline Schools Superintendent John Welch in the role he was meant to play: a rebellious punk rocker with spiked hair and a leather “Anarchy” jacket (see animated gif photo, right).
Edmiston, a local screenwriter, producer, entertainment attorney and now director, developed “The Day My Parents Became Cool” to provide professional arts experience to public high school students. Edmiston served as writer, producer, and director.
The film premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival and was an official selection of the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival. It also won Best Short Comedy at the International Family Film Festival that year.
Edmiston’s other projects include “Farewell to Harry” (2002, writer), “A Relative Thing” (2005, writer and producer), and “Crimes of the Past” (2009, writer and producer). He has two features currently in post-production, scheduled for release in 2012.
Here’s a synopsis of the film from the KCTS website:
“The Day My Parents Became Cool” is a modern costume-comedy – and every teenager’s worst nightmare. When the 1,000-year comet crosses the night sky, a brave new world is created where adults instantly adopt every teen trend in attire and body image. Emo, Goth, Skater, Jock, Metal — tattoos, piercings, thongs, and sagging jeans. On every adult, everywhere, planet-wide. “The Day My Parents Became Cool” tells the comic story of how one small group of teenagers fight back when every outward manifestation of their individuality is co-opted by the enemy.
Here’s Edmiston’s Filmmaker’s Statement:
“The Day My Parents Became Cool” has been an astonishing project for me for many reasons. Perhaps the first is that I’m just happy to have had the opportunity – in a very, very personal sense – to make this film. I was just in remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and had yet to be rediagnosed with a recurrence of the same cancer. With a sincerity that literally goes to my “marrow,” I can tell you that showing up on that film set, with over a 100 high school kids and a phenomenal crew, was truly special. (I am pleased to share that after a stem-cell transplant, I am currently cancer-free!)
I also was amazed at the community support that enveloped the making of this film. We had two Washington State school districts, five schools, two cities, one county, a Rotary Club, dozens of small businesses, local politicians, our beloved “become cool” campaign private donors, hundreds of “sweat-equity” supporters, and, of course, all those kids, literally enveloping our project in a “can do” and “can’t fail” environment.
Finally, we somehow discovered a group of special actors led by Megan Joy, who managed, in a very short format, to take characters through a comic fantasy and somehow bring a poignancy to the journey. As you will imagine, after seeing the film, they were truly funny, fun to work with, and of course, amazingly “cool.”
Here’s a trailer of the film:
Here’s our video story about the premiere screening:
Viewers can watch the film in its entirety for free by tuning into KCTS Channel 9 at 10 p.m. Monday night.
