Eric Scott Latek

"Sweet Dreams" - Elected to be The World Premiere Event at

FULL FRAME FEST 2006 Durham, NC April 6th-9th
And Nominated For Several Prestigious Awards, Including :

The Full Frame Grand Jury Award

The Charles E. Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award

The Full Frame Working Films Award

The Full Frame Audience Award

The Center for Documentary Studies Filmmaker Award

Born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1975, Eric Scott Latek graduated from Emerson College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Film Concentration, Visual and Media Arts / Mass Communication from Emerson College in 1998. It was at Emerson that Latek became exposed to the art movement of Cinema Verite', and was influenced by such works as Breathless (1960), by Jean-Luc Godard. The element of possibilities that Cinema Verite', (Cinema of Truth) a style of filmmaking, combining naturalistic techniques that originated in documentary filmmaking, with the storytelling elements typical of a scripted, electrified the eager filmmaker. It was the idea that the style depended on story and aesthetic, rather than big budgets, large-scale productions or well-known actors. Latek began to employ the method while in college, producing a short film entitled “A Life In The Day of Ringo Vings”. After graduating, Latek expanded the short piece into a feature. In 2001, the underground film went on to win various awards such as “Best International Director”, AFMA International Film Festival, “People's Choice Award”, Adobe Digital Cinema, and “WOW” Award, Tampa International Education. & Time Warner Film Festival.

Frustrated with the process of trying to secure financing for a feature narrative, Latek turned his attention to the documentary world, and the technological revolution of Digital Filmmaking. However, Latek's education and knowledge dealt largely in the grounds of pure film production aesthetics. Therefore, a whole new schooling would occur before the artist would dive into the world of digital filmmaking and non-linear editing. In the Fall of 2002, Latek would begin to document 19 year-old street bookie, Derek Fleming, utilizing cameras with the new 24P Digital Technology. The aspect of digital 24P gave Latek the look and feel of actual film, without the hassle of cost and possible insufficiency. Furthermore, the cinema Verite' aesthetic would come into play, allowing for documentation to occur under some of the most harsh lighting scenarios.

“Maintain No Control!” was Latek's theory while documenting reality. The Art of Directing, which controlled the structure of the epic story, would fall into place in the editing room. “Sweet Dreams”, like the subjects involved, began on one road and ended on completely different one. For 3 years the camera not only documented the life changing events of Gary and Derek, but allowed Latek to learn, grow, and understand the power of cinema Verite' “Cinema of Truth”. Sweet Dreams is proof that life can write the greatest screenplay.