Colorado’s documentary trio on Oscar short list

December 8, 2014

The Colorado-connected music documentary film “Keep On Keepin’ On” has made it onto the Oscar short list in the Best Documentary Feature category.

The Colorado connection is represented by the production team of director Alan Hicks, seasoned producer Paula DuPre Pesmen and co-writer Davis Coombe. The final five nominees will be announced on Jan. 15.

“Keep On Keepin’ On”, the story of jazz trumpeter Clark Terry and his blind protégé, pianist Justin Kauflin, is the lone music-oriented film to make the cut for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar, according to Billboard magazine.

The documentary, produced by music heavy-weight Quincy Jones along with DuPre Pesmen, is the first film from director Hicks, a drummer and former student of Terry’s. The film played more than a dozen film festivals, winning two awards at the Tribeca Film Festival.

“Keep On Keepin’ On” is now playing at The Denver Film Festival’s Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax. For more information, go to www.keeponkeepinon.com.

According to “Billboard”, Terry, now 93, was Jones’ first teacher, and mentor to Miles Davis. He is among the few performers ever to have played in both Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s bands. In the ‘60s Terry broke the color barrier as the first African-American staff musician at NBC – on “The Tonight Show.”

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