Documentary About Wilderness Rite of Passage for Adolescent Boys Selected for Tri-State Film Festival

MATAMORAS, PA, September 21, 2012

A documentary film about a wilderness rite of passage challenge for adolescent boys has been selected for screening at the Tri-State Film Festival.

The documentary called "Tending Fires" tells about 7 adolescent boys who were led to isolated spots in the Catskill Mountains and asked to tend fires by themselves for over 24 hours as part of a rite of passage in a Hudson Valley, NY community.

Filmmaker Peter Ferland of New Paltz, NY shot footage during the event and conducted interviews with the parents and community members who were involved. "But it's not just about the rainy, dark night of the soul for the boys," Ferland said, "The parents are also in a transition time. The fathers are looking at their own accidental initiation experiences and the mothers are struggling to redefine this new role in their lives and with letting their children go."

Tri-State Film Festival organizer Nelson Page saw "Tending Fires" at the Lake Placid Film Forum and knew he wanted it for his Pennsylvania Film Festival in September. "It is my favorite documentary of 2012." Nelson said. "Bar none. Period." The film will be shown the final night of the festival.

Ferland has written feature films for Showtime and Back 40 Films, has directed two award-winning humorous short films and was a writers assistant on the Emmy-winning NBC series "FRASIER". "Tending Fires" is Ferland's first feature length documentary as director and editor and he will be available for a Q&A after the screening.

To see the trailer, watch clips and get information about "Tending Fires," go to http://www.tendingfires.org or contact Ferland directly: peter@tendingfires.org

The Tri-State Film Festival will be held September 28-29th in Matamoras, PA. Festival Passes and Tickets can be purchased at http://tri-statefilm.com or by calling (570) 491-2900

"Tending Fires" is an independently produced and distributed film. For further information, please contact us at (310) 738-6357.