By Duane Dudek

Life in Wisconsin is popular theme for local filmmakers making it to Sundance.

Los Angeles-based Ben Wolfinsohn’s “mockumentary,” “High School Record,” is based on a “combination of all the experiences I went through and friends of mine went through” while attending Madison Memorial High School in Madison. He graduated in 1991; his parents still live in the area.

While it was made for a budget of just $6,500, “people were really surprised” by it, Wolfinsohn said.

“When we were shooting it a lot of people who respected me for my first film (‘Friends Forever’) thought this would be ridiculous,” he said. “Even my dad is like, ‘I never thought it would be that good nor did I think you would get it into Sundance.’”