About the Documentary

Known to millions of crossword die-hards as National Public Radio’s Puzzle Master, New York Times puzzle editor Will Shortz has built a career on studying, creating, and editing puzzles. Wordplay puts the spotlight on this crossword hero and introduces many of Shortz’s brilliant and often hilarious contributors, including syndicated puzzle creator Merl Reagle.

The film follows several world-class crossword solvers as they compete at the 28th Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in Stamford, CT. Hosted and directed by Shortz, the tournament is the nation’s oldest and largest crossword competition, where nearly 500 competitors from around the world battle it out for the title of Crossword Champ over the course of one long, snowy weekend.

Wordplay also presents interviews with celebrity crossword puzzlers such as Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, Mike Mussina, and the Indigo Girls, who reveal their process, insight and the allure of the game.

From Monday-only solvers to Saturday puzzle experts, Wordplay reveals why more than 50 million Americans do crosswords every week.

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