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Austin Convention Center
SXSW Film Theater
500 E Cesar Chavez
"A Most Beautiful Thing," narrated by Common, executive produced by NBA Stars Grant Hill and Dwyane Wade, and directed by Olympic rower Mary Mazzio, chronicles the first African American high school rowing team in this country (made up of young men, many of whom were from different neighborhoods and rival gangs from the West Side of Chicago), all coming together to row in the same boat.
The film dives into the backstories of these young men, examining the issues of trauma and violence. As the team’s captain, Arshay Cooper, reflected, “when we were on the water, we were in a place where we could not hear the sound of sirens or bullets, and that was a beautiful thing...”Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Director
Mary Mazzio
Credits
Director: Mary Mazzio
Executive Producer: Common, Grant Hill, Dwyane Wade, 9th Wonder, Bill Hudson, John Carlson, Ginny Gilder, Lynn Slaughter, Bill McNabb, Katie McNabb, Bryan White, Christine White, Bruce Herring, Tricia Herring, Ted Dintersmith, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, Doris Casap, Ashley Bekton, Chaz Ebert, Rick Lane
Producer: Mary Mazzio
Screenwriter: Mary Mazzio
Cinematographer: Joseph Grasso
Editor: Andrew Eldridge, Tom Cole, Mary Mazzio
Music: 9th Wonder, Alex Lasarenko
Principal Cast: Arshay Cooper, Alvin Ross, Preston Grandberry, Malcolm Hawkins, Ray “Pookie G” Hawkins, Angie Ross, Ken Alpart, Craig Nash, Mike Teti, Uriah Hall
Primary Entry: Platinum Badge, Film Badge
Secondary Entry: Music Badge, Interactive Badge, Film Festival Wristband
Premiere Status: World Premiere
Genre: Biography, Documentary, Family, Sports
Screening Section: Documentary Spotlight
Screening Category: Documentary Feature
Country: United States
Language: English
Runtime: 97 mins