3500+ Films - 2.5 million words – 1 million viewers! Founder and Curator Carmela selects our most entertaining, powerful and inspiring films about Sport at We Are Moving Stories. These include real-life stories and fiction about women, LGBTQ and First Nations; football, baseball, golf, followed by a comedy and a documentary.
Total length of this section: 29 films.
<WOMEN>
Power Meri - follows Papua New Guinea’s first national women’s rugby league team, the PNG Orchids, on their journey to the world cup in Australia. These trailblazers must beat not only the sporting competition, but also intense sexism, a lack of funding, and national prejudice to reach their biggest stage yet. Length: 74 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Joanna Lester:
“Papua New Guinea is considered to be one of the toughest countries in the world to be a woman. There are limited opportunities for women in education, work and society, currently no female politicians, and huge rates of gender-based violence and sexual assault. However, the women I met there were resilient and inspiring. I worked alongside many ‘Power Meri’ (powerful women) who played rugby league, and were changing mindsets in their communities through their ground-breaking participation in this traditionally male-dominated sport.”
Descent - Dutch ice freediver Kiki Bosch dives in the world’s coldest waters without a wetsuit as therapy for the trauma of sexual assault, and to inspire others. Length: 60 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer/Editor Nays Baghai:
“Descent is a story about healing and exploring your limits. It dives into the vulnerability and strength of a woman who finds meaning in the world’s most hauntingly beautiful environments. It will speak to anyone who has faced struggles in their life and is looking to find calm in unlikely places.”
Go On, Be Brave - Go On, Be Brave is the story of Andrea Lytle Peet’s race against time – a diagnosis of ALS – and an attempt at the impossible, to be the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 states. Length: 111 minutes. Director/Producer/Editor Miriam McSpadden:
“We want to get this film out into the hands of the ALS community – so that people know they are not alone. Team Drea Foundation will be using this film to create an impact campaign across the United States to raise money for ALS research to find an effective treatment for this disease and ultimately a cure.”
On Falling - Three young women muse on their experiences as professional mountain bikers, offering a meditation on the limits of body and mind. Length: 14 minutes. Director/Editor Josephine Anderson:
“I made On Falling because I live on the edge of one of the world’s most renowned mountain biking destinations, but have always been too afraid of falling to take up mountain biking. I wanted to explore how people who are embedded in this extreme sport think and feel about risk, failure and vulnerability. Also, I’ve seen how treacherous a bike fall can be. A couple of years ago, my sister was in a road bike crash that damaged her face, knocked out several teeth, and gave her a serious concussion. I wanted to understand why mountain bikers are willing to constantly subject themselves to risk.”
The Founders - In 1950 Thirteen Women set out on a path that changed sports forever. Length: 88 minutes. Director Carrie Schrader and Charlie Fisk:
“This film surprises audiences every single time. They think “why would I want to watch a film about golf?” They come out uplifted, teary, and thoroughly entertained because this film isn’t about golf it’s about the redemptive spirit that is in all of us. It’s about sacrificing everything for your dreams and overcoming the odds. If for no other reason see the film because you deserve to believe that your dreams can happen.”
Women Outward Bound - It was tough. It was beautiful. It changed these girls in 1965 forever. Length: 62 minutes. Director Maxine W. Davis:
“The first Girls Outward Bound School Course in America was held in 1965. I was one of those first 24 girls. I wanted to know if one month in the wilderness affected the other women as it had me – for the better.”
JessZilla - Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva is serious about boxing, and at 10 years old trains seriously with dreams of becoming a professional fighter. Length: 7 minutes. Director Emily Sheskin:
“When I initially read about Jesselyn Silva, known as “JessZilla,” the ambitious young boxer featured in this film, I loved the idea of profiling a young girl’s journey in a male-dominated combat sport.
It’s no secret that women’s boxing has nowhere near the participants — or the money, or the audience — that men’s boxing has. ”
AMYDEE - A violent assault forces a 30 year-old bartender to reexamine her life and place in the world. Length: 15 minutes. Writer/Director Amy DePaola:
“Do you like boxing stories? YES! Are you interested in seeing a strong female character on screen? YES! Are you interested in supporting women behind the camera? YES! If you answered yes to one or more of those questions then this film is for YOU!
Further, if you have ever felt alone in any struggle you have faced, this film is for you. ”
Even Girls Play Footy - Three young girls challenge the football establishment for the right to play the game they love. Even Girls Play Footy follows a landmark legal case which changed both the law and the Australian Rules football landscape. Length: 27 minutes. Director Kerreen Ely-Harper:
“It was a story that seemed to touch the hearts and minds of a cross section of Australian society, not just footy fans. I didn’t want that story to be lost to history. So we began the long campaign to getting the film made.”
Bam Bam - Shamed Muslim boxer, Bianca ‘Bam Bam’ Elmir, aims to be the first Australian to win a World Amateur Boxing Championship. Feature length. Director Jemma Van Loenen:
“Bianca is compelling as a character because she defies definition. She takes the stereotypes and turns them on their head. She’s emotionally intelligent and insightful, and willingly presents an honest portrayal of herself. She loves the attention, but she uses it to further an agenda that is not just about her, but about speaking for minorities, other people that have felt outside the mainstream, other people that look in from the outside. She doesn’t care what people think of her.”
Gertie Gunther Knits a Stitch - egged on by her friends, retiree Gertie Gunther enters a speed-knitting contest in an attempt to win a Seattle vacation and rekindle the connection in her marriage. The effort seems to pay off as her husband Vernon jumps in to help coach Gertie after hearing his favorite race car driver endorse speed-knitting as a sport. But will Vernon finish the race with Gertie? Length: 15 minutes. Writer Marylea Wiley:
“There are a lot of knitting puns and racing analogies that are sure to entertain (or make you roll your eyes and groan), but it’s truly a story about a couple that’s grown apart, and a wife that’s trying to renew the relationship she has with her husband. It’s a film with a zany premise, but it has a lot of heart.”
<LGBTQ>
Alone In the Game exposes the dark side of sports - the homophobia, transphobia, and discrimination - that affect not only closeted athletes, but also their teams and the very institution of sport in America. Length: 95 minutes. Director/Producer Natalie Metzger:
“The world of sports has long been a wasteland for LGBTQ athletes. In the big 5 sports leagues in North America, there is only 1 openly gay athlete currently playing. This needs to change. ”
Light in the Water - The triumph of a team. The legacy of change. In 1982, soon after the first Gay Games, 'West Hollywood Swim Club,' as it was known then, registered as the first openly gay masters swim and water polo club. This feature documentary film follows their battle for acceptance: from their humble beginnings, to how these men and women have become a renowned force fighting injustice in the world of competitive sports. Length: 75 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Lis Bartlett:
“With the love and empowerment that comes from community, everything is possible.”
<FIRST NATIONS>
Fast Horse - follows the return of the Blackfoot bareback horse-racing tradition in a new form: the Indian Relay. Siksika horseman Allison RedCrow struggles to build a team with second-hand races and a new jockey, Cody BigTobacco to take on the best riders in the Blackfoot Confederacy at the Calgary Stampede. Length: 13 minutes. Writer/Director Alexandra Lazarowich:
“You should watch FAST HORSE to go on a wild ride! ”
New Island Home Venturing inside the inner sanctum of the Dudley United Football Club during the 2017 campaign, New Island Home reveals Kangaroo Island’s unique community spirit and the bravery of a group of talented indigenous footballers who cross an ocean to start new lives and, at the same time, change others. Length: 62 minutes. Director Daniel Clarke and Producer Amy Pysden:
“The bravery of these young Aboriginal men to leave their families in their tiny desert communities to cross an ocean and start new lives on a foreign land is inspiring. ”
<FOOTBALL>
Ithaca: The Climb - How a small community came together to create one of the most successful high school football programs in America. Length: 107 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Mason Flick:
“I made the film to highlight the success of one of the most successful high school football programs in the country in the last 10 years. Their story had never been told in long form, so I decided to dive deep and find out as much as I could about how they got to where they are now. I also made the film to test my limits as a documentary filmmaker. This is my first feature length documentary. ”
Showtime: A Coming of Age Football Story - A powerful story of the 2019 Parkway North Junior Vikings 8th Grade Team as they strive to become three-time champions. Despite their differences while learning life lessons through the game of football join together as one team, one vision, one community. Length: 71 minutes. Writer/Director/Editor Angela Lamb and Writer/Producer Charles Gurley Jr.:
“Building community, overcoming adversity and fundamental life lessons are all feature here.”
Anyone Like Me - A story about finding yourself on a Deaf football team. Length: 26 minutes. Writer, director and producer Mimi d’Autremont:
“While Shelby’s story is unique to him, I found while making the film that everyone at Gallaudet has a story like his. Ninety percent of Deaf and Hard of Hearing children come from families with no prior knowledge of American Sign Language or Deaf culture. When those students come to Gallaudet, it’s culture shock. And the lesson of learning who you are and how you fit in with society is an experience that extends beyond Deaf and Hard of Hearing students.”
Game Night - When a lonely taxi driver happens upon a football field, he falls into a memory of his past. Length: 6 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Joel Fendelman:
“This is a film that I think all of us thirty years of age and up can relate to. It’s about the optimistic dreams and goals of where we think we will be in life when we get older and the many times sobering disappointment of where we end up. So it is personal and universal.”
<BASEBALL>
LATE LIFE: The Chien-Ming Wang Story - Carrying the burden of ‘Pride of Taiwan’ on his anchor plated shoulder, the reticent national icon attempts his one last shot at baseball glory. Length: 99 minutes. Director Frank W Chen:
“Very rarely you get to see the behind the scene stories of the glamorous life of professional athletes, let alone a national icon. The film gained exclusive access into the private life of Wang, often known as ‘Pride of Taiwan’ in his homeland – and delve deep into the human person that is Chien-Ming Wang.”
Brampton’s Own - A struggling minor league baseball player retires and woefully returns to his small hometown, carefully dodging old wounds until confronted with the one that hurts the most – the girl that got away. Length: 90 minutes. Director/Writer/Producer: Michael Doneger:
“As Hemingway said, “write one true sentence, write the truest sentence that you know.” And at least thematically speaking, I tried as best I could to pull from the truth and keep it honest, which I’m hoping results in audiences identifying with those themes. I’m really banking on the fact that that Hemingway guy knew a thing or two and doesn’t make me look like an idiot.”
93 Miles -The night after defecting Cuba, a baseball player and his girlfriend are held up in a Mexican hotel room. The tension rises as the two become claustrophobic in this stressful situation that they are stuck in. Length: 17 minutes. Writer/Director/Producer Noah Canavan:
“I made 93 Miles to raise awareness for the issue of Cuban athletes, specifically baseball players, and the dirty paths they have to endure to make it into major league baseball, in the US.”
<GOLF>
Golf! - A golfer and his caddy have a very difficult conversation on the green. Length: 7 minutes. Writer/Director/Actor Julia Bales:
“This short film drops you into the life of a sad man who doesn’t get that he is the problem. It’s something that I think a lot of people can relate to... and it just so happens that the main character is played by a young woman.”
<COMEDY>
Wet Dreams: One Woman's Chance at Touching Gold - follows the remarkable story of a young athlete, Emily, and her coach, Kassie, as they train to compete in the obscure sport, Leisure Diving. Wet Dreams chronicles the duo’s unbridled enthusiasm and unfaltering hope that one day their sport will become recognized by the powers that be and they’ll finally have a chance to compete for gold in the Olympics. Length: 7 minutes. Writer/Producer Emily Bell:
“People have told us they’ve watched it multiple times, finding something new to laugh at with each viewing. It’s really rewarding to discover that people are enjoying something that was so much fun to make.”
Pickled - A pickleball player returns to competition to discover that her league now rejects her because she is over 35 years old. Length: 13:20 minutes. Writer/Director/Actor Megan Brotherton:
“It will make you laugh, and hopefully, it will make you reflect on what “winning” really means to you.”
<DRAMA>
Softball - Two cousins have to gamble their way through a softball game to raise funds desperately needed to pay off a long-overdue debt to the local mafia. Length: 17 minutes. Director Joseph Edmund Aliberti:
“You should watch this film because you won’t see anything like it elsewhere. The characters are an amalgam of real people who are part of a lineage becoming more and scanter. The performances are both funny and moving and lend a level of reality to the setting that isn’t seen so often.”
<DOCUMENTARY>
Comeback Kid: Liam McNeill - Through injury, personal hardship, intense training schedules and body transformations we follow a young man's journey into the fierce Muay Thai ring. Length: 25 minutes. Director/Producer/Editor Fraser Cameron:
“I’m fascinated by the commitment and the determination in Liam. He is, in fact, my cousin, and I grew up next to him. He was always the smallest boy in the room, unassuming and shy. To see him take up such a brutal sport as Muay Thai, and be successful at it, has been fascinating. When I heard of his injury, and his 2-year absence from the sport I couldn’t help myself but get out there and document his return to the ring.”
The Running Man of Pasadena - A 70-year old Lebanese immigrant finds happiness and community through a hobby he discovers late in life. Length: 11 minutes. Director/Producer/Editor Brett Nicoletti:
“I was intrigued by this colorful, gregarious, older man who I saw running all over Pasadena. After driving by him regularly for 10 years, I finally approached him to learn his story.”
26.2 TO LIFE - The San Quentin Prison Marathon has an unconventional route: 105 dizzying laps around a crowded prison yard. 26.2 TO LIFE is a new documentary that tells the story of incarcerated men who are members of the 1000 Mile Club, the prison’s long-distance running club. They train all year for this 26.2 mile race. For the men who take their places at the starting line on a cool, sunny November morning, completing the marathon means more than entrée into an elite group of athletes. It’s a chance to be defined by more than their crimes. Cheering them on are a small staff of volunteer coaches, veteran marathoners who train with the runners throughout the year. The bonds they forge on the track create a community that transcends prison politics and extends beyond the prison walls as members are released. 26.2 TO LIFE is a story of transformation and second chances. The film offers a rare glimpse into a world out of bounds, as the men navigating life sentences seek redemption and freedom… or something like it. Length: 1 hour 28 minutes. Director/Producer Christine Yoo:
“My friend’s experience made me think much more deeply about the impact of incarceration, not only on the individual and their family but also on the larger community. It also made me want to understand how people who expect to be in prison for life find ways to continue living.”