Private Project

"26 Letters"

  • Paige Smith Lee
    Director
  • Dean Bushala
    Director
  • Leslie Schwerin
    Writer
  • Rick Dowlearn
    Producer
  • Jason Reynolds
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 3, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    500,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Paige Smith Lee, Dean Bushala

Paige is an Emmy© award winning editor and producer. Her work includes producing and editing for PBS, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, ID, HGTV, MSNBC, A&E, Netflix and the Nature Conservancy. Most recently Paige Series Produced/Directed and Edited PBS/WETA’s #1 rated local show “If You Lived Here”. Paige has also edited and produced award winning specials and films like NatGeo’s national Emmy©Award winning “Going Viral: Beyond the Hot Zone”, AARP's NY regional Emmy© Award winning "Andantes: Motown Secret Blend" and “Care to Laugh” a multiple award-winning feature documentary. And being a DC local for 30 years means plenty of animal reality shows, vet-shows, natural history shows, crime shows and "Shark Week" thanks to the proximity to National Geographic & the Discovery Channel.

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Director Statement

I have been a long form documentary editor for over 25 years, and worked on most styles of documentary television but the most important part of my job has always been crafting the story. I have loved partnering with wonderful teams to craft compelling stories and in the last 5 years I have been taking that passion into the field. As a director who knows how to edit, my skills have transferred well into the field. I wanted to make this film because Jason Reynolds has an important message about literature, finding your own voice and how special our children are but I also felt ready to tell a story that I found compelling in my own way. I am taking my years of experience and passion for storytelling to create a piece that makes you think, makes you laugh, makes you hopeful and above all is compelling to watch. I am able to gather a team of seasoned professionals that I have worked with over the years to support the start of this dream so that we can continue to make content and create opportunities for young talent to join the documentary community in DC.