A short documentary about a young man from East Baltimore,who found a creative outlet in the art of yo-yo “throwing,” was selected to win the Festival Director’s Choice Award at the 2016 Telluride Mountainfilm Festival.

Throw, which was co-directed by Darren Durlach and David Larson, and produced by their company, Early Light Media, was selected by festival director David Holbrooke for the award. The documentary’s subject, Coffin Nachtmahr, was also at the festival to receive the award with the filmmakers.

“It was amazing to see how well the film was received by audiences at Mountainfilm,” Larson said. “Everywhere we went in Telluride, people gravitated toward Coffin. He’s a remarkable person and an awesome performance artist.We were grateful for the opportunity to tell his story. ”

The 10-minute documentary, which was shot in prominent East Baltimore locations, such as Patterson Park and the Baltimore Cemetery, unfurlsNachtmahr’s story about finding his place through the unlikely pursuit of yo-yoing. Growing up in East Baltimore, he never felt like he fit in, until he discovered a subculture of “throwers.” Using a simple toy and doing something he loved, Nachtmahr found purpose, acceptance and community.

Throw is the first in the Invisible Thread series of documentaries that Early Light Media has planned for production. The series will explore universally relatable, people-driven stories.

“Coffin’s story is about finding joy in a simple thing and place where he belonged. That’s something everyone can relate to, no matter where you’re from,” said Durlach. “The Invisible Thread series is fueled by our passion for telling people’s stories and will be an ongoing project that explores life, death, and all the moments in between.”

Throw will premiere in Baltimore at the Patterson Theatre in the Creative Alliance on August 24, 2016.The short documentary will also be shown at screenings across the U.S. and internationally, as part of Mountainfilm on Tour. For more information about the upcoming Baltimore release, or to view the trailer, visit earlylightmedia.com.

About Early Light Media

Early Light Media is an ambitious team of journalists, educators, producers, artists, makers and doers, who create beautiful and relatable videos. We shift perceptions. We aspire to change the world. Visit www.earlylightmedia.com.