Shadow Box Film Festival
December 13th, 2014 by Mr. C
We were able to bob & weave into a few Shadow Box Film Festival screenings which was held at the School of Visual Arts Theater on 23rd Street despite the relentless rain we had last weekend. It was the 3rd edition of this low profile gathering marketed as the world’s only ALL-BOXING Film Festival! You have got to love a film festival whose major sponsors included a Termite and Pest Control company! Talk about eradicating opponents in and out of the ring!
(Heather Hardy at the Shadow Box Film Festival – photo by Chocko)
On Friday night of the festival, we jetted out of the traffic free super-highway slabs over the GWB during usual gridlock holiday time to head downtown Manhatty to SVA Theatre. I’m sure the rains had to do a lot with the emptier roads for we made it just in time for the great roundtable discussion on the state of woman’s boxing with whatever content the ladies & Dibella wanted to bring to the forefront! The panel included Lorraine Price (Director of Doc: Last Woman Standing) which was part of the program/screening that we missed that night; Lou Dibella (Boxing promoter and Executive Producer of Hardy), and Heather Hardy (Boxer and subject of Doc: Hardy). The roundtable was moderated by Steve Farhood (Showtime Boxing commentator/anaylyst & Broadway Boxing commentator). Farhood did a great job in asking pertinent questions to tender the subject of woman’s boxing and how the business is changing for the ranks of lady pugilists. Thanks to Chocko for recording the roundtable for further review!
(video by NJChocko)
(Photo op after the Roundtable panel included: Lorraine Price,Lou Dibella,Michael Bentt,Heather Hardy,Steve Farhood – Photo by Chocko)
After the panel, We saw the HARDY documentary again and loved it even more the 2nd time around. The film follows Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn’s own Heather Hardy as she realizes her dream of boxing at a later stage in life. Hardy is really an inspirational story about searching for self esteem & identity and chasing after your dreams. More is at stake here than first glance,as boxing is also the means of survival for Hardy and her daughter. It was interesting before the screening as Executive Producer Lou Dibella mentioned that the director of the film – Natasha Verma did a great job with her first film but he (Lou Dibella) also changed the film into a very good film. I wondered what he changed and what he really meant by this?!
(Former WBO Heavyweight Champion – Michael Bentt at the Shadow Box Film Festival – photo by Chocko)
On Saturday, I returned to catch the short films segment. I was mostly looking forward to the films – Greatness: The Story of Floyd Patterson and Sunnyside but ended up seeing some other eye opening shorts!
Greatness: The Story of Floyd Patterson
This doc was more about the greatness of Floyd outside of the ring and in his personal life. We all have heard stories of the boxing genious of Floyd Patterson but the humble, quiet, & gentlemen stature of the great Floyd Patterson reigns supreme here! Several of Floyd’s more successful boxing students Andrew Schott and adopted son Tracy Harris Patterson step out of the shadows to relive some of their teacher’s glory in and out of the ring. Much of the film is spent on Floyd’s life after boxing at Floyd’s gym in New Paltz, NY as he passed on his boxing chops just like Cus D’mato did for him.
Sunnyside is a documentary that unearthed a New York City boxing club/arena in Sunnyside, Queens that I did not know existed! This legendary fight club full of boisterous fans and lure of smoke from cigarettes & cigars had its heyday from 1947-1977. I’m pretty familiar with the area that this former legendary boxing venue was located which is on Queens Boulevard & 45th Street which is now the grounds of fast food chain Wendy’s! The 59th Street Queensboro bridges is just a hop,skip, & a jump away! If I can remember correctly, it costed $4000 to rent out a night of boxing cards at the Sunnyside. This film honored the history of the Sunnyside Gardens Arena as one of New Yorks most influential fight club and unfortunately one of the last as well. It was hailed as the minor leagues, the training grounds for fighters before/if they get called to fight at Madison Square Garden. Some boxers and wrestlers that trolled through the Sunnyside are Floyd Patterson, Gerry Cooney, Bobby Cassidy, Bobby Bartels, Lenny Mangiapane, & Bruno Sammartino to just name a few.
Champion was a charming documentary that highlighted a decorated Iraqi boxer who fled his country to seek a better life for himself. Fast forward to the present as this former Iraqi Champion boxer is living a happy life in Chicago with his wife and children as he drives a taxi to support his family. This film was very inspirational and touching as the love between husband and wife was the real story behind this documentary – less about the boxing.
Round 10 was a re-enactment of one of the most infamous rounds in boxing history. It was the first fight between Jose Luis Castillo and Diego ‘Chico’ Corrales on May 7th, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. To call this fight and 10th round dramatic would be an understatement. Now, I want to see Round 9 re-enacted from the Mickey Ward vs Arturo Gatti – 1st fight! Any takers?
Babyface was a documentary that followed 19 year old James ‘babyface assassin’ Tennyson who was on his way to becoming the youngest Irish Boxing Champ in 65 years. Raw footage full of thumping blows from the babyface assassin while training at a satellite Kronk gym in Ireland! R.I.P. Emmanuel Steward.
Tags: documentary, hardy, shadow box film festival
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