It took "Gerry" over a year to make it to theaters, in which time Van Sant began production on his next film, "Elephant". Approached by HBO and producer Diane Keaton to craft a fictional film based on the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, the director chose to shoot in his hometown of Portland, employing dozens of untrained, teen actors. As well as melding improvisational long takes like those in "Gerry" with Harris Savides' fluid camerawork, the film was also influenced by Alan Clarke's 1989 film of the same name (see "Elephant"). The finished film provoked strong reactions from audiences at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. At the Cannes festival, the jury awarded "Elephant" with their top prize, the Palme d'Or, and Van Sant with his first Best Director statue from the festival. The success of "Elephant" led Van Sant to show the U.S. premiere of "Elephant" as a fundraiser for Outside In, an organization working to help youth living on the streets of Portland, Oregon.