Cda High Grad Hopes He Has Ticket To Oscars

Matthew Clarke once promised to take all his friends to the Academy Awards someday.

It wasn’t wishful thinking, it was a plan. And Matthew, 23, is right on track.

The Coeur d’Alene High graduate’s name is among the top credits on the independent feature film, “Treasure Island,” which debuts tonight at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” Matthew said from his California home just before leaving for the festival. “This is a good mark on my resume, definitely a stepping stone. It should be my admission into the union.”

Sundance is an annual showcase and competition for independent films from all over the world. The 10-day festival attracts thousands of viewers, 600 journalists and crowds of film acquisitions executives.

Of the 3,000 films submitted to the festival this year, 118 made the cut. “Treasure Island” is among 16 chosen from more than 800 entries for the dramatic competition.

Sundance offers lower-budget films and their crews exposure to career-making industry people. That’s what Matthew is counting on - for his sake as well as for his parents.

“I was the biggest gamble of all three kids,” he said.

His dad, Ric Clarke, admitted Matthew caused him a tad more worry than his two daughters. Ric cautioned Matthew about the unreliable film industry.

“I told him to have a backup plan. He just blazed ahead,” Ric said, sounding almost pleased his son didn’t listen.

“We’re real proud of him.”

Matthew’s fascination with film began with the “Star Wars” trilogy.

“We’d go to the movies, he’d study the technique,” Ric said.

In Melody Melton’s media class at Coeur d’Alene High, Matthew and a friend produced their own 15-minute remake of “Star Wars.” Melody was so impressed, she entered their work in Lewis Clark State College’s film contest without their knowledge. They won.

“Their’s wasn’t the typical amateur video,” she said. “They used creative angles. It was edited well with no editing equipment.”

That win gave Matthew the confidence to pursue a career in film. He earned his degree in film from the University of Colorado in Boulder, and eventually landed in Hollywood.

“I knew if all else failed, I’d find some kind of work,” he said.

Persistence and connections paid off. A friend of a friend of a friend gave him the phone number of a well-known film editor, Dodie Dorn. Matthew left her regular messages until she returned his calls.

“I think she thought I was someone she knew,” he said.

She became his mentor, introduced him around, taught him to speak the film industry’s language. For six months he worked free as an editor on three projects to learn the ropes, then was offered a job as film editor for “Treasure Island.”

He turned it down.

“I wanted to come in as an assistant for my first few jobs,” he said.

Dodie took the editing job with Matthew as assistant.

They heard in December that Sundance judges had chosen to show the film at the festival.

“Treasure Island” will start at 11:30 tonight with Ric and Mary Clarke and Melody in the audience next to Matthew, his fiance, Meredith Crossland; and the rest of the crew.

The film is black and white, 87 minutes and shot 1940s style. It’s about World War II code-breakers on an island U.S. Naval base in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“It’s artsy, metaphorical,” said Ric, who watched the film when Matthew came home for Christmas. “We had to have him explain it.”

Which must mean it’s a sure winner.

This sidebar appeared with the story: SUNDANCE For additional coverage on the Sundance Film Festival, see Sunday’s IN Life entertainment section.