To-Do In NYC: See Lil Poison Documentary

Short notice, but Lil Poison, a documentary about a kid who became the world’s youngest pro gamer plays at 6pm ET today in New York City at the New York International Latino Film Festival.

Details on the movie and the screening, which is in the Chelsea neighborhood, are on the festival’s official site

I haven’t seen the film, but it seems to be more than just a rah-rah piece about pro gaming. Lil Poison was a successful pro gamer when he was in the third grade, and there’s plenty of family triumph and heartache around a situation like that.

If you can’t make it or want to know more about the film, check out IFC’s interview with Lil Poison director Beth Earl. A sampling:

IFC: Little Victor is a kid who was able to turn his passions into something that became profitable for his family. Do you think that he was more or less able to cope than an average kid whose parents are going through a divorce? Did you see a personality change as his parents were breaking up?

Earl: Yes. I think he withdrew a lot more during that time and has now kind of come back and is more himself. It’s important for any kid going through that to have an outlet but for him, because it was video games, he became more socially withdrawn, I think. But you wonder if he had people to talk to? On the surface, it took his mind off of things but perhaps there would’ve been other ways.

IFC: And there’s still pressure and obligations associated with games…

Earl: There’s one scene in the film you’ll see, but there’s a moment after a fight where he’s in the basement alone playing the Wii. When you see him playing games that he doesn’t compete in, that’s a world that’s all his own. And so when he plays the Wii, or if he’s playing…he had like a virtual pet for a year and I think all he did was press space bar and he would do it for like an hour. It reminded you he was a kid.

How About a Lil Poison? [IFC.com]