"Conventioneers" to Air this Weekend

The Upper East Side has got talent. And, this Saturday, Channel Thirteen/WNET will be showcasing that talent when it airs "Conventioneers", an independent film written and produced by UES native Joel Viertel, as part of its REEL 13 series.

Released in 2006 to highly favorable reviews, "Conventioneers" is the fictional tale of a romance that ignites between a Republican delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention and an old college friend, a Democrat who is in town to protest the event. Co-written and directed by Mora Stephens, who also happens to be Viertel's wife, "Conventioneers" was shot during the convention and uses real people, places, and action to enhance its fictional storyline.

In many scenes, lead actors Matthew Mabe and Woodwyn Koons were filmed in the midst of actual protests and police round-ups, infusing the film with the dramatic tension and raw energy of the controversial events. In fact, the crew was so close to the action that many of its members—Viertel included—were mistakenly arrested during police sweeps and spent time in jail alongside protestors.

Also featured in "Conventioneers" is actor Alek Friedman, who served as the real sign language interpreter for President Bush at the 2004 convention. Friedman plays sign language interpreter Dylan Murtaugh, and Viertel and Stephens have woven actual convention footage of Friedman into the film.

The result of Viertel and Stephens' collaboration is a fictional tale with a documentary feel, one that explores the results of the partisan divide in American politics and clearly captures the passion and energy of both sides involved in the history-making event.

"Conventioneers" premieres on Saturday, October 4th at 11:15 pm on REEL 13.