Film teaches 'Tolerance'

PROVO — In three minutes, using only postcards and exaggerated actions, Mark Finch Hedengren wants to convey a message that it's OK to be different.

Hedengren's short film, "Tolerance," shows two friends playing hopscotch, and communicating by writing on post cards.

Their game is interrupted by two teasing brothers who make fun of Alan's way of talking, and steal away his friend Lisa to play tennis with them.

In the end, after Alan tries to communicate using dance moves, he is reassured by Lisa that his post-card conversations are enough.

Hedengren's three-minute creation will be one of almost 70 short films shown this weekend at the Slamdance Festival in Park City, the smaller, more independent option that runs along side the Sundance Film Festival from Jan. 19-26.

Organizers of the Slamdance Film Festival, which gets almost 3,000 submissions annually, said the quirky black-and-white short caught their eye because it was unique and fresh.

"It's just a fun, short little whimsical film," said Sarah Diamond, director of programing for Slamdance. "You see a lot of these silent film parodies that come off cliched and don't work, but I think this film went over really easy. It's cute, fun, really good acting, we just thought it worked well."

The film originally started as a contest entry for the Movie Making Marathon put on by the LDS Film Festival in January 2005.

In 24 hours, and with a budget of $80 — $50 went for dinner for the cast and crew — the movie was digitally shot, edited and turned in.

Hedengren, a BYU-graduate, who won first place in the LDS Film Festival and second place in the San Diego International Children's Film Festival, felt inspired and decided to keep going.

He gathered the Tolerance gang again and reshot the movie on 35 mm film at a cost of almost $1,800. After Hedengren sent a letter seeking a little financial aid, Kodak chipped in some money to help the budding filmmakers.

With the film version in hand, the group submitted it to Slamdance and was flattered with the acceptance and the chance to share their message with a bigger audience, said David Hedengren, Mark's brother and the show's producer. The Hedengren brothers also have roles in the film as the two teasing brothers.