Startup.com

Startup.com traces the paths of two freewheeling entrepreneurs and their quest for the new American dream: developing a successful Internet start-up company. Director Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim track the roller-coaster ride of the creation of GovWork.com, a new-media solution for connecting citizens with government via the Internet. This exceptional filmmaking team pinpoints a critical time in our history by focusing on the trials and tribulations of Tom Herman and Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, GovWorks charismatic founders and leaders.

The camera captures each important milestone on the road to riches, from the inception of the idea to the courting of venture capitalists. The relentless drive in this group is palpable from their sports-rally chants to their obsessive work ethic. Startup.com follows them from East Coast to West and a few spots between, through sleepless nights and disappointing setbacks. We even eavesdrop at the deal-making table when they discover they cannot get their lawyer on the phone. The wild ride will all pay off if it delivers them to the ultimate final round, an IPO.

Startup.com is also about friendship and dreams. The bond of high-school friendship is put to the test when big money comes into the equation. The choices and sacrifices involved are heightened by their now-infamous historical context, the peak Web euphoria which occurred some two years ago. Startup.com has all of the suspense and intriguing characters of a great fiction film.