American Taboo

"American Taboo" is a 1983 drama film that follows Paul Wunderlich (Jay Horenstein), a shy photographer in his late 30s, as he begins an illicit romance with a teenage girl, Lisa Welch (Nicole Harrison). Shot on location in Portland, Oregon on a budget of $20,000, the film explores themes of reclusiveness and age difference. Despite its limited budget, the film won the 1983 Academy Award for Best Student Film for director Steve Lustgarten, who was a student at Portland State University at the time.