Award-Winning Football Doc “Fordson” Coming to AMC Theaters
The documentary “Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football,” a winner at this year’s Slamdance and Traverse City Film Festivals, will make its theatrical premiere on September 9 in 11 markets including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles via AMC Theaters.
Directed by Rashid Ghazi, the film follows a predominantly Arab-American high school football team from a Detroit suburb as they practice for their big cross-town rivalry game. It documents not only the build up to the game, but the team’s inner struggle to reconcile their Arab heritage with their American birthright.
Here’s the trailer:
For more on the film and to see where it’s playing go here.
Full release below:
FORDSON, AWARD-WINNING FILM, TO OPEN AT AMC THEATRES SEPTEMBER 9 – 15, 2011
Documentary releases as world marks 10th anniversary of 9/11
New York, NY- August 29, 2011 – Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football, an award-winning documentary, will open in 11 markets including New York, Chicago, LA, Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington, DC via AMC® Theatres on September 9 – 15, 2011. Fordson follows a predominantly Arab-American high school football team as they gear up for their big senior year rivalry game during Ramadan, revealing a community holding onto its Islamic faith while struggling to gain acceptance in post 9/11 America. Following several notable film festival awards, Fordson will make its theatrical premiere as the world marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
“Fordson is an inspirational story about the American Dream that we hope everyone gets a chance to see. The film has received interest from a variety of groups including sports fans, interfaith organizations, educational institutions and the U.S. Government,” said Rashid Ghazi, executive producer/director, Fordson.
The story unfolds at historic Fordson High School, a public school built by Henry Ford in 1922 that was once all white, but now attracts a 98% Arab-American population. As the Fordson team readies itself to play its affluent cross-town rival, the film offers an unprecedented glimpse inside the lives of a community that is home to the largest concentration of Arabs in any city outside of the Middle East, and their determination to hold on to the American Dream. Fordson documents not only the players’ outer struggle to overcome the hunger and thirst of fasting as they prepare for the big game, but also their inner struggle to reconcile their Arab heritage with their American birthright. It is an inspirational story of an immigrant community’s resilience, that attempts to answer the question, “Who is an American?
Co-produced by Emmy Award winning journalist Ash-har Quraishi and award winning documentary producer Basma Babar-Quraishi, Fordson is one of the most anticipated films of 2011; a Variety review recently described the documentary as “first-rate.”
Ghazi, a sports marketing and television consultant whose clients include ESPN Networks, said he shared his vision with Quraishi and Babar-Quraishi, who were sent on assignment to Pakistan at the time of the 9/11 attacks to report for CNN. What emerged was a film that artfully combined themes of high school football and post 9/11 America.
The film recently won Best US Documentary Film at Traverse City Film Festival, with Academy Award-winning director Michael Moore commenting, “I want everyone in the country to watch this film.” Fordson also received the Best US Documentary Award at the Manhattan Film Festival, the Special Grand Jury Award at the Slamdance Film Festival, Special Jury Prize at the DEADCenter Film Festival, the Audience and Founders Award at the 2011 Politics on Film Festival, the Best Documentary Award at the Detroit-Windsor Film Festival and was named Champion of the World Cup Film Awards. The film is made by North Shore Films in association with Quraishi Productions. For trailer and showtimes, visit www.FordsonTheMovie.com.
