Ana’s Playground is a short film about a rag-tag group of children in an unidentified, war-torn country who are playing soccer while listening to a professional match. When their ball flies out of reach, our hero Ana is unexpectedly forced into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a sniper.

As the contest on the radio heats up, Ana, her friends, and the sniper all listen intently to the broadcast. In a fleeting moment, Ana forges a connection with her enemy – a mutual respect born in the recognition of worthy adversaries. However, the shared moment passes and the no man’s land swallows them up once again, with soccer, and sport in general, representing what’s left of their receding youth. The story focuses on the moment a child is forced to choose between ideology and humanity, and how the world often responds to that choice.

Ana’s Playground avoids political or regional stereotypes. Its focus is on the effects of violence on children, rather than on the political or racial differences of a particular conflict.  The film has been awarded top honors at 4 qualifying festivals of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and has been short listed for an Academy Award® Nomination. A feature version of the film has recently been optioned by RKO Pictures and is scheduled for production in 2013.

Eric D. Howell is an international award winning writer & director with experience in every aspect of motion picture production. After working his way through technical filmmaking, Eric joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1992 as a stuntman and actor.  This experience propelled him into stunt coordination and 2nd unit directing. Feature credits include NORTH COUNTRY, JOE SOMEBODY, A SIMPLE PLAN, A SERIOUS MAN, among many others.  Eric has been dubbed by Shoot! Magazine “as one of the industry’s crop of new directors to watch” and won the FADE IN Magazine 2012 Grand Prize. His latest film ANA’S PLAYGROUND has won top honors at twenty+ international film festivals and was short listed for an Academy Award. His feature script based on the short has been optioned by RKO studios and is currently in development. He is represented by United Talent Agency and managed by Anonymous Content.