The Greater Cleveland Film Commission held its 4th annual Film Forward Documentary Spotlight events on February 28th and March 1st, featuring the film FAST DREAMS.
Thank you to everyone who attended our 4th annual Film Forward Documentary Spotlight, featuring the film FAST DREAMS at Cleveland Public Library Main Library!
This “trackumentary” explores the remarkable journey and career of child track & field phenom Bianca Knight as she tries to make good on her early promise to win the Olympics. Her inspiring story explores every inch of the distance between potential and reality.
FILM SYNOPSIS:
The film lays before us the risks involved in chasing a dream. Filmed over 17 years, this story is a rollercoaster ride from Bianca’s early teens in Mississippi to her early 30’s – through the peaks and valleys of a fractured family life, high-school, college, professional track & field, the Olympics, motherhood and ultimately giving back to the youth through coaching. During this journey, Bianca wins up the ranks, falls, gets back up and wins Olympic gold. The film continues for years beyond Gold, by exploring her happiness and overall purpose in life.
The documentary puts Bianca’s Olympic journey into the rearview mirror revealing a much larger perspective for the audience as a takeaway. Through Bianca’s failures and success in Women’s Sports, we see a young girl grow into a woman under her mother’s unrelenting will; a will born out of a parent’s shortcomings and yearning as a single-mom. The result we see is Bianca developing a determination and resilience that propels her dreams into reality. The adrenaline fueling Bianca’s sense of purpose, independence, strength of character and growth are visible and infectious.
In this age of hopelessness, daring to dream and the roles that courage, failure, determination, and family play in the success and failures in one’s life are tantamount lessons to teach future generations. Bianca’s journey is proof that no matter what you encounter in life, you must use difficult situations as trials to help you accomplish your goals, even if failure is the fate you ultimately meet. The audience soon learns that Bianca’s mother, Annie Knight, used her own shortcomings in her young life as a line she simply will not let her daughter cross.
It is precisely the story of fortitude and resilience that many today need to see.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Harry Davis (Co-Director) is a filmmaker who has started, written, financed, directed, and sold over 10 projects that each started on a blank sheet of paper. His key talent is vision. He is a former world-class track athlete, having competed in the United States Olympic Trials, and internationally in the 110-meter hurdles. His gritty take on sports years ago influenced many brands such as Reebok, ESPN, Converse, and Cherry Coke. Davis created, wrote, and directed a narrative feature, “Joy Road” (Wood Harris, Jamie Hector, N’Bushe Wright). The film won numerous awards and film festivals and was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival.
Alexander Tejeda (Co-Director) took part in the development of an edgy hit cultural TV series in the United Kingdom, producing and directing 4 shows that were ratings winners in that market, and then later throughout Europe. Tejeda, while directing 2 of the films, was busy as a hip hop artist as part of a rap group called “Shadez of Brooklyn” which was part of a larger Brooklyn crew known as the Beatminerz, featuring DJ Premiere. Tejeda was part of numerous hit records in the United States and around the world. He received gold and platinum records for hits we all have heard like the “Shadez of Brooklyn” rap verses on Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack”. Tejeda continues to tour heavily in Europe and routinely performs to sold-out audiences in clubs and music festivals.
EVENT PHOTOS
