Editor Scott Taradash spent two years and close to $50,000 of his own money to produce “Honeyboy,” a feature length doc about Chicago blues legend David “Honeyboy” Edwardsby. The picture gets top billing Sunday evening at the Gene Siskel Film Center, where Taradash and Honeyboy will appear.
Taradash and DP Eric Kay of L.A. traveled the Mississippi Delta on-and-off filming the stories of 87-year old Honeyboy, a plantation sharecropper who finally landed in Chicago. He spent the summer editing the 35 and 16 footage in his basement. “The film is absolutely beautiful,” says Taradash, thanking Optimus for HD finishing.
“Honeyboy” was an instant festival hit. It opened the Rhode Island Film Festival – “unheard of for a doc”– and handily scored best documentary at Ft. Lauderdale. Later this month it goes to Portland, Oregon’s Music Film Festival.
Although “Honeyboy” is receiving worldwide festival invitations, Taradash knows festivals don’t return investment — TV distribution does. A hopeful start is the consideration Sundance and HBO are giving it for airing on their respective outlets. Meanwhile, Taradash’s gratification has been personal. “The questions I get after screenings are a great payback,” he says.
