It was only two years ago that former Riverside resident Patrick Creadon directed his first documentary “Wordplay,” written about Will Shortz, crossword puzzle guru of the New York Times newspaper. This prize-winning production was presented at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2006 and was Creadon’s first hit as well as being among the first documentaries sold at Sundance in 2006.

Not resting on their laurels, Creadon and his wife, Christine O’Malley, went right to work on their next documentary, “I.O.U.S.A.,” which also debuted at Sundance, this time in January 2008. Again, the couple has hit the jackpot, with this critically acclaimed film about the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences not only for the United States, but for the rest of the world. This work was completed before the bottom fell out of our economy but predicted what would happen to our country. Creadon documents how the fallout was brought about and its possible amelioration.

Today, the documentary is continuing to build momentum. On Dec. 9, this film was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for the Best Documentary. Historically, the Critics’ Choice Awards are the most accurate predictors of the as-yet unannounced Academy Award nominations. The 14th annual Critics’ Choice Awards will air on VH-1 Thursday, Jan. 8.

The film is among the 15 documentary features that will now advance in the voting process for the Academy Awards, before the final five nominees are chosen. The 81st Academy Awards 2008 will be presented Sunday, Feb. 22.

The documentary was first shown in August at Pipers Alley in Chicago and at 350 theaters throughout the U.S. This screening was followed by a lively panel discussion featuring panelists Warren Buffett, chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway; William Niskanen, chairman of CATO Institute; Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP; and Pete Peterson, former Secretary of Commerce. For those who missed the premiere showing, a 30-minute version of the documentary is available for viewing on the film’s Web site (www.IOUSATheMovie.com) and on YouTube. This 30-minute version has become a vital tool for those seeking to spread the film’s messages and for educators bringing the film to their classrooms as a teaching tool.

The Peter G. Peterson Foundation purchased the rights to the documentary in July 2008.

According to recent calculations by the foundation, the sum of America’s debts and other financial commitments is about to exceed the collective net worth of its citizens. That means that for the first time in our history, we will owe more money than all of us have combined.

According to Carol, his mother, Patrick acted as a child and played the lead in television plays, one as Tom Sawyer and another in “Soft is the Heart of a Child.” He attended Fenwick Prep School, graduated from Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in government and earned a master’s degree in cinematography from the American Film Institute. He and his wife have formed O’Malley Creadon Productions in Los Angeles.

Also, talent is inherent in the Creadon genes. His grandfather, Francis Creadon, and his father, Patrick Creadon Sr., both lent their soaring Irish tenor voices to the Paulist Chorus of Old St. Pat’s Church in Chicago and many other vocal groups.

Here is a hopeful headline for Feb. 23: Creadon walks off with Oscar!