The film stars David Alan Grier, Lorraine Toussaint, Bryshere Y. Gray (Empire), newcomer Dale Elliot, Kadeem Wilson, Dennis Titus, Shantol Jackson, and Usain Bolt.
Grammy award-winning artist NE-YO wrote and produced original songs for the film as well.
Grammy award-winning artist NE-YO wrote and produced original songs for the film as well.
I used to love to run back in school, and while I was never a competitive runner, I found it relaxing as I ran laps around the track, or sprinted back and forth. In this film, we are introduced to a young Jamaican track star who is about to take the world by storm, but he has to do a little growing up along the way. With the help of his coach who is played by David Alan Grier, Akeem must "use his blinkers" to focus on running the best timed 200 meter dash he can, if he hopes to make to Los Angeles, CA where his mother lives.
This is not just a sport story, but also a coming of age film, which shows the struggle of this young Jamaican boy looking to not only make a name for himself, but also find himself along the way. His brother was a track star and he doesn't want to live in his shadow, nor be kept down by his drunk father. This movie will definitely pull at your heart strings, and have you reaching for a box of tissues. But, the ending will also make you walk away feeling happy, as Akeem makes it to the USA, is reunited with his mother, and also has him running the race of his lifetime. Does he win? You will just to have to watch Sprinter, which it releases to movie theaters nationwide on April 24, 2019 via Gathr Films’ Theatrical-On-Demand. You will not be disappointed with this movie, and I am so happy I was able to see it, and can't wait to watch it again with my husband this weekend. I haven't stopped talking about it, so he is eager to see what Sprinter is all about, and why I liked it so much.
More about this upcoming movie release:
"“It’s not often that a film manages to deliver a story as compelling, moving, heartbreaking, and uplifting as Sprinter.”
"FilmRise has announced the Theatrical-On-Demand® release of the award-winning feature drama SPRINTER. Executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith, SPRINTER is a coming-of-age drama highlighting every-day Jamaican culture that is rarely seen on film. Winner of the Best Feature Film, Best Director, and Audience Award at 2018’s American Black Film Festival, and Jury Winner for Best Narrative Feature at the 2019 Pan African Film Festival, SPRINTER will be released to movie theaters nationwide April 24, 2019 via Gathr Films’ Theatrical-On-Demand. Details on how to reserve tickets or host a local screening can be found on the film’s website: www.sprinterthefilm.com.
Written and directed by Storm Saulter (“Better Mus’ Come”), the film follows Akeem Sharp (newcomer Dale Elliott), nicknamed the Rasta Rocket for his once-in-a-generation speed, who is set to be Jamaica’s next big track-and-field sensation. Akeem hopes his rise in athletics will take him to the U.S. to reunite him with his mother, who has supported the family while living as an illegal resident for over a decade. But Akeem’s rising star is weighed down by turmoil at home: a volatile father, and an unruly older brother who insinuates himself into Akeem’s career as a means of escaping – or perhaps enhancing – his scam artist hustle. The film also stars Kadeem Wilson (Ghett’ A Life), Dennis Titus (The Mighty Quinn), Shantol Jackson (Yardie), Bryshere Y. Gray (Empire), with Lorraine Toussaint (Selma, Orange is The New Black), and David Alan Grier (In Living Color) with songs by Grammy Award winning artist NE-YO and Jamaican dancehall performer Shenseea.
Executive Producer Jada Pinkett Smith comments, “SPRINTER showcases the unbreakable bond between parents and their children, and Will and I are beyond excited to share the film with families everywhere. SPRINTER is a testament to the powerful, personal, and universal stories that can be told when underrepresented voices are given access, inclusion, and opportunity. We are so proud of this film!”
SPRINTER was produced by Robert Maylor of Mental Telepathy Pictures, Clarence Hammond, and Jamal Watson, with Jada and Will Smith as Executive Producers, along with NBA Veteran and Media Personality Richard Jefferson, Josef Bogdanovich, Zachary Harding, Dr. Lim Dong Pyo, and Flipp Montgomery. SPRINTER has a running time of 111 minutes and is not rated."
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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Storm Saulter is a filmmaker and visual artist from Negril, Jamaica, on a mission to create universal stories wrapped in the complex social and cultural dynamics of the Caribbean. Storm served as writer, director and cinematographer on his award-winning feature film “Better Mus’ Come,” hailed by critics as signaling a fresh new movement of independent filmmaking throughout the Caribbean.
ABOUT OVERBROOK ENTERTAINMENT
OVERBROOK ENTERTAINMENT is a Film and Television company devoted to the creation of extraordinary entertainment art and its delivery to all people of the world - a vision shared and cultivated by Overbrook’s partners: James Lassiter, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Will Smith. Overbrook’s diverse slate of critically acclaimed and blockbuster feature films has grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office receipts. Some of Overbrook’s most notable projects include ALI, HITCH, THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS, I AM LEGEND, HANCOCK, the Tony-nominated FELA! musical, THE KARATE KID, Netflix’s TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE, and most recently, HALA, which world premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and sold to Apple.
ABOUT MENTAL TELEPATHY PICTURES
Bringing new narratives from the Caribbean and diaspora to life and a screen near you, MENTAL TELEPATHY PICTURES is an independent film production collective and sales agent. We create content without borders by amplifying the universal stories of underrepresented, visionary auteurs and advocating for their inclusion in content creation and distribution for audiences worldwide.
The company was founded by Jamaican-American attorney Robert A. Maylor, who has held industry positions at Magnolia Pictures, United Talent Agency (UTA), and Mark Burnett’s One Three Media Company. Maylor is a graduate of Princeton University, William & Mary Law School and USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program.
ABOUT GATHR FILMS® THEATRICAL ON DEMAND®
Gathr Films is a technology-based specialty theatrical distributor for documentaries and issues-oriented films. Gathr pioneered Theatrical-On-Demand in 2011, democratizing motion picture theatrical distribution. Gathr also distributes faith films and other independent movies.
ABOUT FILMRISE
FilmRise is a film and TV distribution company and streaming network founded by veteran producer/financiers Danny Fisher, Jack Fisher and Alan Klingenstein. With over 15,000 titles in a wide range of genres, the company’s releases include HBO’s multiple Emmy®-winning “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”; “Janis: Little Girl Blue,” produced by Oscar®-winner Alex Gibney; two-time Academy Award®-nominee Julie Delpy’s “Lolo; and the Sundance hit “White Girl”. Television titles include such classics as “Roseanne” and “3rd Rock from the Sun”, as well as the iconic Robert Stack hosted series “Unsolved Mysteries” and Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares.”
FilmRise’s recent releases include “Manifesto” starring two-time Oscar®-winner Cate Blanchett; sci-fi drama “Marjorie Prime” starring Jon Hamm and Lois Smith; the box-office hit “My Friend Dahmer” starring Ross Lynch and Anne Heche; and “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” starring Chloë Grace Moretz. For more information, please visit www.FilmRise.com.
Disclosure: I was provided with a screener of the movie in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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