TOWER
On August 1st, 1966, a sniper rode the elevator to the top floor of the University of Texas Tower and opened fire, holding the campus hostage for 96 minutes. The wake of the ear-ringing gunshots left 16 dead, three dozen wounded, and a shaken nation left trying to understand — marking America’s first mass school shooting.
Inspired by Pamela Colloff ‘s article 96 Minutes, Tower visually spotlights the survivors, witnesses, and heroes of the shooting through moment-by-moment accounts which include the students who were injured, a radio reporter who broadcasted the event live, and the first police officers who responded to the scene. Through the unique combination of rotoscope animations, archival footage, and interviews, Keith Maitland creates a visceral, human-centered recollection on an otherwise devastatingly, hopeless event.
Credits
DIRECTED & PRODUCED BY: Keith Maitland
BASED ON THE TEXAS MONTHLY ARTICLE, "96 MINUTES" BY: Pamela Colloff
PRODUCERS: Megan Gilbride and Susan Thompson
CINEMATOGRAPHY BY: Sarah Wilson and Keith Maitland
EDITOR: Austin Reedy
ANIMATION: MINNOW MOUNTAIN
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY: Osei Essed
ADDITIONAL MUSIC BY: LORD BUFFALO
COLORIST: Parke Gregg
SOUND DESIGN: Lyman Hardy III
CASTING: Vicky Boone
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Louis Black, Pamela Colloff, Steve Eckelman, Sally Jo Fifer, Keith Maitland, Mary Beth Minnis, Amy Rapp, Meredith Vieira, Lois Vossen, Luke Wilson, and Sarah Wilson (please list these in poster order -- I left off a couple names on purpose)
CO-PRODUCERS: Craig Staggs and Steph Swope
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS: Melina McKinnon Cain, Mchael Cain, Booka Michel, Edythe Michel, Cynthia Nelson, Dan Nelson, Matt Nordgren, Lisa Henken Ramirez, Randy Ramirez, Tim Taliaferro
COORDINATING PRODUCER: Hillary Pierce
SUPERVISING PRODUCER: Amy Shatsky
CONSULTING PRODUCERS: Paul Stekler and Courtney Spence
POST PRODUCTION: Stuck On On
Emmy Award (2018) - Winner Best Historical Documentary
Academy Awards (2017) - Shortlisted - Best Documentary Feature Film
Critics' Choice Documentary Awards (2016) - Winner - Most Innovative Documentary
Gotham Awards (2016) - Nominee for Best Documentary & Audience Award
Producer’s Guild of America Awards (2017) - Nominee
Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US (2017) - Winner - Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards (2016) - Winner - Best Animated Film
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards (2016) - Winner - Best Documentary
Houston Film Critics Society Awards (2017) -Winner Texas Independent Film Award
Montclair Film Festival (MFF) (2016) - Special Jury Prize for Innovative Storytelling
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (2017) - Winner Jury Prize Feature Documentary
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (2016) - Nominee Best Documentary
Austin Film Critics Association (2016)
Winner AFCA Award - Best Documentary
Winner Breakthrough Artist Award
Winner Austin Film Award
Winner Special Honorary Award
SXSW Film Festival (2016) - World Premiere
Winner SXSW Grand Jury Award
Winner SXSW Audience Award
Winner SXSW Louis Black/Lone Star Award
RiverRun International Film Festival (2016) -Winner Audience Choice & Best Documentary
DeadCenter Film Festival (2016) - Winner Best Documentary
Dallas International Film Festival (2016) - Winner Grand Jury Prize - Texas Competition
awards
Keith Maitland sits down for a post Q&A at a TOWER screening at the Utah Film Center.
Roger Ebert
