Festival Season:
August 2024
Max: A Short Life
Directors:
Writers:
Scott Allan Ligon
Producers:
Run Time:
1:21:00
Awarded for the following Category(s):
Awarded Category(s)
Submitter Statement
My new film, “Max, a Short Life” is about the life and death of my son Max Ligon who was killed in a car accident at age 19. His car was hit by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the highway, driving over 100 miles per hour.
Told through live action and animation, the film documents his heartbreaking last day and the aftermath of his passing. The film is also an often humorous celebration of his short life as a quirky, creative and courageous individual who forever changed the lives of his friends and family for the better.
The film features candid and poignant interviews with family as well as friends from every era of Max’s life.
Because his phone survived the car crash, the film also features astonishing documentation of his amazing last day, which he spent with his friends at an amusement park in Ohio.
The film also contains interviews with the first responder who arrived on the scene to help Max and his friends. It contains an interview with a person in another car who was almost hit by the drunk driver minutes earlier. It features news footage and 911 calls from the actual crash.
The film is for anyone who has experienced grief but it is also a life affirming manifesto about an adventurous life lived with conviction.
The film is written and directed by Scott Ligon. This is his first full-length film. His short film Escape Velocity has won several awards, played in film festivals all over the
world and has played on television multiple times. Escape Velocity is distributed by Shorts International in London.
Scott is the author of Digital Art Revolution, Creating Fine Art with Photoshop. The book was published by Random House, the premiere publisher in books.
Scott Ligon is an Associate Professor at the Cleveland Institute of Art.
The music for the film is composed by Gideon Freudmann. Gideon has regularly contributed to NPR's "All Things Considered”. His music has been licensed for TV, and Sundance award winning films. His music has also been used for advertising campaigns including Apple, Chrysler, American Express, and Microsoft.
Animated sequences are created for the film by a crew of 17 students from the Cleveland Institute of Art as part of the Animation Community Projects Course. These students often find employment in major animation studios upon graduation.
Key Cast
Other Credits