Projects in genres: Sport

Synopsis

A feature documentary about Oscar Pistorius, the Paralympic and Olympic athlete who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day in 2013, and whose culpable homicide sentence was later overturned and replaced with a murder conviction by the South African Court of Appeal in December 2015. The film explores the tragedy of Steenkamp’s death; alongside a look at South Africa’s turbulent society. Over twenty years after Nelson’s Mandela’s seeming triumph over adversity, the country, born out of the violence of apartheid, has so far been unable to overcome the profound damage inflicted upon it – mired in racial tensions, a culture of gun crime, corruption and violence – and failing institutions seemingly unable to resuscitate the dreams of a nation.

Synopsis

Shergar was once the most valuable stallion in the world. His kidnapping in 1983 by the IRA still grips public’s imagination. What really happened with the prizewinning Irish racehorse? BAFTA-winning director Alison Millar goes in search of new evidence to try to solve the mystery.

Synopsis

'The Full Monty' in Speedos! Accountant Eric believes he can win back his wife Heather by diving into the world of male synchronised swimming. Joining his local team "Men Who Swim", Eric finds a surprising brotherhood in this motley crew as they train for the world championships in Milan. Can their coach Susan whip them into shape? Will they master 'the flower’, 'the pyramid’ and 'the spinning circle’ in time? More importantly, can Eric win Heather back with the help of his newfound confidence? Official Selection Edinburgh International Film Festival 2018 - Closing Film - World premiere

Synopsis

A short film about an eighty-year-old tidal pool in Margate, and the swimmers who find solace and community in her waters during these turbulent times. Filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson and writer Anna Hart explore the magical healing nature of the sea, and the value of a true community pool. Official Selection Sheffield Doc/Fest 2018 - World premiere Official Selection Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2019 - International Competition

Synopsis

Soccer stars were at the centre of the scene in the glamorous nightlife meccas of 1980s Brazil. But in their midst Carlos Kaiser, one of the biggest sports celebrities of his generation harbored a secret: He had never played a single game. Official Selection Tribeca Film Festival 2018 - World premiere

Synopsis

An impressionable Launceston Elliot comes under the spell of the iconic Sandow The Magnificent, a performing circus strongman. He seeks him out as his mentor to train him for the Olympics.

Synopsis

A searing documentary of a lost cultural icon. A story of art, sport, sexuality, and rebellion. Watch any figure skating and it falls into two camps: before and after John Curry. From what was a macho, technical sport whose judges punished deviation, blossomed – through John Curry’s stubborn beauty – ice-dancing. After winning gold at the Winter Olympics for a rebelliously balletic routine, audiences and reviewers alike were enthralled by his genius. But Curry’s story is about more than skating. On the night of the final, Curry became the first openly gay Olympian at a time when homosexuality was barely legal. From bullying and prejudice, to relief in the gay underworld, to his untimely death from AIDS, Curry’s story dovetails with the experiences of a generation. This is the story of a man whose body was a battleground. From love affairs, to violence in sex clubs, to its ‘unmanly’ elegance on the ice, every act was rebellion. John Curry was no activist, but an artist expressing his authentic self – yet in a world where his existence was taboo, his life was unavoidably political. Official Selection CPH:DOX 2018 - International premiere

Synopsis

When the youngest member of a reputable all-star cheerleading team struggles to ‘hit’ her stunt during her coach’s rigorous training sessions, the rest of the team suffers.

Synopsis

When a tormented naval officer returns home to Liverpool, the city becomes a landscape for atonement as he is forced to confront his past.

Synopsis

Based on the incredible true story of amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst, and his attempt to win the first single-handed round-the-world yacht race in 1968. Crowhurst entered the Sunday Times Golden Globe race, partly as an opportunity to publicise a new navigation device he had been working on. He fitted another of his inventions, a stability system, to his untested trimaran and set off to on his solo mission to circumnavigate the globe. Leaving his family behind, his inexperience and loneliness found him confronted with dramatic struggles and acute isolation alone on the high seas. A haunting tale of a man going to sea and the family he leaves behind.

Synopsis

Focusing on the final races of cyclist David Millar’s career, leading up to his last encounter with the Tour de France. The camera goes inside the peloton, is pushed up impossible climbs and forced down rapid descents, lies alongside David in his hotel room in post-race agony. The camera also rides in the support car, the source of comfort, supplies and fleeting relief from the cold. And all in the knowledge that every mile travelled is a mile closer to the end. This film reveals how the human spirit is driven by a force deeper than success and glory. Official Selection IDFA 2017 - World premiere

Synopsis

A funny yet touching coming of age football memoir played out to the sights and sounds of Britain in 1970. Adapted from the comic novel by Dave Roberts, it recounts the author’s highs and the lows supporting his beloved team Bromley FC through their worst ever season. Bumping along at the bottom of the bottom non-league division, and effectively the worst football team in Britain, Bromley had reached breaking point. Desperate for a change of fortune, and deluded by his own overactive imagination, Dave hatches a plan that will not only see Bromley grabbing the headlines on national TV, but also have a number of top flight clubs descending upon Hayes Lane to scout Bromley’s dubiously overrated centre forward. Throw into the mix the Bromley Chairman’s daughter Ruby King – who actually hates football, but has taken quite a shine to Dave - and you have a recipe for disaster which has Dave’s football fandom tested to the core. It just goes to show you can't choose who you fall in love with.