The Gateway Film Center announces the return of the second annual International Sports Film Festival of Ohio, April 12-14, Showcasing six films and several post-film discussions to call attention to a variety of social issues in and through the realm of sport.
The ISFFO opens on Thursday, April 12 with The Workers Cup, a documentary on FIFA 2022 World Cup host, Qatar. The film provides a voice to the migrants working to build the sport’s biggest stage by taking a look inside the labor camps of Qatar, and has been screened around the world. The festival will also feature sport films with Ohio connections, including Burn the Ships, a documentary on the Akron Racers softball team, and Crash and Burn, a biopic of Tommy Byrne, former Formula One driver who now serves as an instructor at Mid-Ohio School in Lexington, Ohio.
- April 12, 7 p.m. – THE WORKERS CUP (2017)
- April 12, 6:15 p.m. – HOKA ONE ONE TOP TRAILS SERIES (2017)
- April 13, 7 p.m. – BURN THE SHIPS (2016)
- April 13, 9 p.m. – UNVEILED (2016)
- April 14, 5 p.m. – CRASH AND BURN (2016)
- April 14, 7 p.m. – KILLER BEES
“Our goal is that this festival will be known as the place where diverse cultures connect and better understand one another through the common language of sport and the powerful medium of film,” said Gateway Film Center President Chris Hamel.
Opening night reception is Thursday, April 12. Festival passes are available and include access to all films and the opening reception. Day passes and single screening tickets are also available at www.gatewayfilmcenter.org. For more information on the films and the festival, visit www.isffoohio.
COMPLETE 2018 ISFFO LINEUP AND SHOWTIMES:
THE WORKERS CUP
Thursday, April 12 @ 7 p.m.
[92 minutes, multiple countries, 2017]
In 2022, Qatar will host the biggest sporting event in the world, the FIFA World Cup. But far away from the bright lights, star athletes, and adoring fans, the tournament is being built on the backs of 1.6 million migrant workers. The Workers Cup is a feature-length documentary giving voice to the men who are laboring to build sport’s grandest stage. Inside the labor camps of Qatar, African and Asian migrant workers building the facilities of the 2022 World Cup compete in a football tournament of their own. Now they are immersed in an experience that will change their lives forever: The Workers Cup.
HOKA ONE ONE Top Trails Series – Columbus
Thursday, April 12 @ 6:15 p.m.
[19 min; USA, Ohio, 2017]
In the HOKA ONE ONE Top Trails Series, RunnerSpace and HOKA introduce some of the most interesting places our Humans of HOKA run in the U.S. This stop is in Columbus, Ohio. We meet Jeff Henderson and Ryan Moran, two avid trail runners who created, landscaped, and excavated their own trails. Then, hosts Matt and Ian meet up with HOKA Account Executive John Meadows to talk downtown Columbus. Later, Jeff and Ryan show us one of their favorite breweries and give insight into the Columbus running community.
BURN THE SHIPS with post-film discussion
Friday, April 13 @ 7 p.m.
[88 mins; USA, Ohio; 2017]
Women’s professional softball has endured a tumultuous journey in search of security in a male sports-crazed society. Players in this league are among the best in the world at their craft, yet they are overlooked and underappreciated compared to their male counterparts. Poor player retention and limited league expansion are just some of the obstacles the league has faced since its inception. Forty years later, these challenges remain virtually unchanged, yet the league presses on. The Racers possess the same passion exhibited throughout the league’s history. They are committed to the sport they love and willing to sacrifice the spoils of a comfortable life in order to achieve glory on the field.
UNVEILED
Friday, April 13 @ 9 p.m.
[86 min; Waziristan, Canada; 2016]
In Waziristan, “one of the most dangerous places on earth,” Maria Toorpakai defies the Taliban – disguising herself as a boy, so she can play sports freely. But when she becomes a rising star, her true identity is revealed, bringing constant death threats on her and her family. Undeterred she rebels for her freedom.
CRASH AND BURN with guest appearance from Tommy Byrne
Saturday, April 14 @ 5 p.m.
[86 minutes; Ireland, USA/Ohio; 2016]
Crash and Burn is a fascinating documentary about the rise and fall of Tommy Byrne, a supremely talented racing driver who many describe as one best ever. For a fleeting moment in the early 1980s, Byrne was the world’s greatest driver – the motor racing equivalent of George Best and Muhammad Ali all rolled into one. Byrne was a cocky, aggressive driver from humble Irish roots, and the Formula One glitterati simply didn’t like the mix. Driving was a route out from a future of toil and drudgery he saw stretching out before him.
KILLER BEES
Saturday, April 14 @ 7 p.m.
[85 minutes, USA]
Killer Bees chronicles a championship high school boys’ basketball team that provides pride, tradition, and hope for an African American community struggling to survive in the middle of one of the wealthiest communities in America – The Hamptons.
