Sandburg film gets NEA grant

Filmmaker Receives Coveted NEA Grant

Bonesteel Films of Asheville has been notified by the National Endowment for the Arts, that Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, Inc. of Flat Rock, NC has been granted $25,000 to support post-production costs for a documentary film about writer Carl Sandburg. Intended for PBS's American Masters series, The Day Carl Sandburg Died examines the life and work of this Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

"It's a wonderful acknowledgment that Sandburg's work and amazing life story are of interest to the nation, as well as the years of work we've put into developing this project." Said the film's director, Paul Bonesteel

Since 2004 Bonesteel Films has been in planning and production on the film working while closely with Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, the non-profit support group for the The Carl Sandburg Home, a National Historic Site in Flat Rock.

Bonesteel plans for completion of the film this year, but additional funding is still needed. "The costs associated with finishing a film like this are extraordinary. With an icon like Sandburg, archival rights fees and other expenses are high, and while this grant is good news, much more funding is needed" said Bonesteel.

In addition, the films website has recently been updated and revised with a full cast listing. Click here to take a look.