About the film

about the “Boys State” film

In late 2017, given the Legion program’s stellar reputation, and the deeply meaningful leadership experience for Boys State Delegates, a request was made by a production company to create a documentary. 

The purpose of the outside project was to highlight the nuances and dynamics of the political process from the perspective of today’s youth.

The directors and producers of the documentary are prize-winning filmmakers, and husband and wife team, Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine.

About

Strap up your saddle and get ready for a wild ride. Boys State is a political coming-of-age story, examining the health of American democracy through an unusual experiment: a thousand 17-year-old boys from across the state of Texas gather together to build a representative government from the ground up. High-minded ideals collide with low-down dirty tricks as four boys of diverse backgrounds and political views navigate the challenges of organizing political parties, shaping consensus, and campaigning for the highest office at Texas Boys State—governor.

Documenting impeachment threats, dramatic debates, underdog victories, and even nefarious internet memes, filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine (The Overnighters, 2014 Sundance Film Festival) chart the dramatic twists and turns of these intersecting stories to reveal profound truths about our political choices and civic obligations and to remind us, ultimately, that democracy is not a spectator sport. With cunning insight that will have audiences buzzing, Boys State holds a mirror up to our divided country. This is a film for the ages in every sense of the term.

YEAR 2020

CATEGORY U.S. Documentary Competition

COUNTRY U.S.A.

RUN TIME 105 min

COMPANY Mile End Films

WEBSITE http://www.jessemoss.com

EMAIL d.jesse.moss@gmail.com

PHONE (917) 208-1545

Credits

Directors

  • Jesse Moss

  • Amanda McBaine

Producers

  • Amanda McBaine

  • Jesse Moss

Editor

  • Jeff Gilbert

Composer

  • T. Griffin

Director Of Photography

  • Thorsten Thielow

Executive Producers

  • Laurene Powell Jobs

  • Davis Guggenheim

  • Jonathan Silberberg

  • Nicole Stott

Co-Executive Producer

  • Shannon Dill