In 500 Words or Less

Showing at the Austin Film Festival: In 500 Words or Less, directed by Molly Fowler

Synopsis from the film's website:

Going to college is a rite of passage for many American high school students, but the process can be overwhelming: college fairs, tours, SATs, applications. And then there's the personal essay. How does a seventeen-year old define herself to total strangers when she's only beginning to discover who she really is? And how can she be expected to do it in an essay of 500 words or less? Point Made Films takes you on the journey to college with four very different young people as they spend their last year with their families trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be. Ride Molly's emotional roller coaster as she tries to balance her parents' expectations with her own dreams. Cheer Michael on as he steps out from behind his older sister's Ivy League shadow to discover his own priorities. Encourage Leo to fulfill his mother's American dream while trying to maintain ties to his Dominican heritage. And root for Lindsay as she searches for her next home while the one she's known for 17 years gets turned upside down by illness and loss. In 500 Words or Less serves as a portrait of four of the nearly 1.5 million families who go through this process each year. While race, geography and socio-economic status affected how they got here, their stories converge as they all juggle acceptance, rejection, decision-making and letting go.