James Redford has many documentary and feature filmmaking credits to his name. He started his collaboration with Karen Pritzker on HBO’s The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia, a film that gave hope to millions of families around the world who have struggled to educate their dyslexic children. From there, they turned their story-telling eye on the hidden menace of adverse childhood experiences. Paper Tigers, currently on the festival and screening circuit, will air on PIVOT TV near the end of 2015. James also co-founded and is current Chair of The Redford Center, a film production non-profit that translates complex environmental challenges into human stories that inspire. Recent honors include the 2014 WildCare Environmental Award, 2015 filmmaker envoy for USC/US State Department’s American Film Showcase as well as serving the leadership circle for the UN’s second annual Media for Social Impact Summit. James lives in Marin County and is married to Kyle Redford, a popular educational blogger for Edweek, Huffpost and Noodle.
Karen Pritzker is an editor, film producer and co-founder of KPJR films. She has executive produced three award-winning documentary films: The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia; Paper Tigers; and Resilience: The Biology of Stress and The Science of Hope. Each film has served as a catalyst for social change, sparking global movements that have increased community awareness, created educational initiatives and impacted all levels of policy.
Premiering at The Sundance Film Festival in 2012, The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia uses documentary media to educate global audiences about dyslexia, the number one learning, affecting 20% of the population. Following thousands of screenings, worldwide audiences formed grassroots movements and took immediate action to improve the lives of dyslexic students, their families and their teachers through inclusive educational and policy initiatives.
Similarly, Pritzker’s films Paper Tigers and Resilience: The Biology of Stress and The Science of Hope have served as creative tools used by diverse audiences of educators, health care providers, juvenile justice professionals, non-profit agencies and corporations to share the impact of childhood trauma and toxic stress on the child, the family and our society as a whole. Named as a National Resilience Champion by childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) leaders, Pritzker and her films are reframing beliefs around trauma and stress worldwide.
Pritzker also serves as President of the Seedlings Foundation, where she directs resources toward programs that nourish the physical and mental health of children and families as well as institutions that foster an educated and engaged citizenship. Since it’s founding in 2002, the Foundation has awarded millions of dollars in grants, catalyzing advancements in medical research, social services, job retraining for adults, affordable housing, and online news sites dedicated to local, factual, ad-free reporting.
Pritzker was the editor of My Hero: Extraordinary People and the Heroes Who Inspire Them (Simon & Schuster) and co-editor of Profiles in Dyslexia, which features the untold stories of successful dyslexics from all walks of life. She received her B.A. from Northwestern University and serves on the board of directors of Grameen America, a nonprofit that offers low-cost microloans to women below the poverty line, as well as Grameen PrimaCare, which provides affordable health care for immigrant women.
PRODUCER
James Redford
PRODUCER
Windy Borman
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Karen Pritzker
MUSIC
Todd Boekelheide
CINEMATOGRPHAY
John Kiffmeyer
FILM EDITING
Jen Bradwell
E. Donna Shepherd
CAMERA OPERATORS
Andrew Eckmann
Daniel Gorrell
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Bao Nguyen
COLORIST
Ayumi Ashley
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Nicole de Coteau
Luke Shock
THANKS TO
David Smoler
JAMES REDFORD
JAMES REDFORD DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
“The primary goal of PLAYING FOR KEEPS, as with all of our films, is to aid in the health and repair of our social fabric. At first glance, a film about the physical, emotional and social benefits of play might seem a little lightweight, but a deep look at the power of play reveals a uniquely effective way to reduce stress, improve health and bolster community connections. As it turns out, adults who engage in enjoyable pastimes, hobbies, and various forms of play are effectively inoculating themselves against the dark side of the modern era. The people we met while making this film were a diverse lot, spanning careers from oncology nursing to primetime news-casting. Their play practices – from hula hooping to playing in a rock band, were equally diverse. Nonetheless, all the subjects in PLAYING FOR KEEPS all shared a joie de vivre that was infectious and no doubt good for their overall well-being. For many of us, however, the pace and complexity of our daily existence has reduced our physical activities as well as community connections, adding fuel to the fire of such problems as depression, suicide, and drug abuse as well as heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Spending time doing something fun that’s self-generated and doesn’t offer external reward can seem frivolous in today’s outcome-driven society. However, it is the very process of engaging fun activities in which the reward is internal that the biggest benefits of wellness can occur. Our goal in making PLAYING FOR KEEPS is to remind us all of the enjoyable and healthy benefits of having more fun. Rather than embarking on a sharp diatribe about the ways in which the modern world inflicts insidious harm on all of us, the film aims to provide us with helpful tools and inspiring examples of how having more fun can be a powerful weapon in our quest to a better sense of wellness – and well-being.” — James RedfordKAREN PRITZKER
KAREN PRITZKER
Karen Pritzker is an editor, film producer and co-founder of KPJR films. She has executive produced three documentary films: The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia; Paper Tigers; and Resilience: The Biology of Stress and The Science of Hope. Pritzker also serves as President of the Seedlings Foundation, which supports programs that nourish the physical and mental health of children and families. “We made this film for the people whose job it is to put others first. The film will benefit anyone, but it is the teachers, doctors, police officers, and social workers we had in mind. Those who take their responsibilities so much to heart that they don’t make space for themselves. But all work and no play takes a toll. Studies show that adults who regularly engage in activities of play are less likely to develop serious health issues and more likely to live longer. It turns out that when we make space for fun, we are not only happier, we are healthier. The benefits of play are clear. The hurdle we must leap over now is giving ourselves—and each other—the permission to prioritize fun. To view play as a necessity…and a critical component of health and well-being.” — Karen PritzkerTHE CREW
PRODUCER
James Redford
PRODUCER
Windy Borman
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Karen Pritzker
MUSIC
Todd Boekelheide
CINEMATOGRPHAY
John Kiffmeyer
FILM EDITING
Jen Bradwell
E. Donna Shepherd
CAMERA OPERATORS
Andrew Eckmann
Daniel Gorrell
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Bao Nguyen
COLORIST
Ayumi Ashley
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Nicole de Coteau
Luke Shock
THANKS TO
David Smoler