Special virtual screening of Angela Pinaglia’s documentary
LIFE IN SYNCHRO about “the most feminist sport you’ve
never heard of” will now benefit 39 film festivals across the U.S.
The Film Festival Alliance and Theatrical-At-Home announced five additional film festivals and organizations have joined Saturday’s Film Festival Day virtual presentation of Angela Pinaglia’s documentary LIFE IN SYNCHRO, swelling the list of Film Festival Day participants to 39. The special screening will benefit each of the participating film festivals across the country with a share of the evening’s proceeds. Film festival audiences from across the country will be able to select their festival of choice when purchasing tickets and box office revenue will be generously split with that organization and the filmmakers themselves.
Among the new film festivals and organizations synchronizing with the Film Festival Day event are BendFilm (OR), Film Pittsburgh (PA), Maine Film Center (ME), Silver State Film Festival (NV), and the Tallgrass Film Festival (KS).
The full list of participating film festivals and organizations are as follows:
- BendFilm (OR)
- Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival (IL)
- Buffalo International Film Festival (NY)
- CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival (WA)
- Charlotte Film Festival (NC)
- Cinetopia Film Festival (MI)
- Cucalorus Film Festival (NC)
- Durango Independent Film Festival (CO)
- Film Pittsburgh (PA)
- Flyway Film Festival (WI)
- Free State Festival (KS)
- Golden State Film Festival (CA)
- Hells Half Mile Film & Music Festival (MI)
- Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (AR)
- Indy Film Fest (IN), InterFaith Film & Music Festival (NY)
- Interfaith Music & Film Festival (NY)
- Maine Film Center (ME)
- Martha’s Vineyard Film Society (MA)
- Milwaukee Film Festival (WI)
- Nashville Film Festival (TN)
- NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (CA)
- Orcas Island Film Festival (WA)
- Oxford Film Festival (MS)
- Phoenix Film Festival (AZ)
- Poppy Jasper International Film Festival (CA)
- RiverRun International Festival (NC)
- Rocky Mountain Women’s Film (CO)
- San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (CA)
- Scottsdale International Film Festival (AZ)
- Sedona International Film Festival (AZ)
- Sidewalk Film Festival (AL)
- Silver State Film Festival (NV)
- St. Louis International Film Festival (MO)
- Tallgrass Film Festival (KS)
- The Valley Film Festival (CA)
- Vermont International Film Festival (VT)
- Women Sports Film Festival (CA),
- Women Texas Film Festival (TX)
- Woods Hole Film Festival (MA)
“We’re thrilled to have more film festivals and organizations join us for Film Festival Day tomorrow,” said Lela Meadow-Conner, Executive Director of Film Festival Alliance. “LIFE IN SYNCHRO would have played many of these festivals at their in-person editions this year, so it is exciting that the filmmakers will still have a chance to reach audiences across the country. Right now, there’s an opportunity to shake up the traditional model of independent film distribution – and something like Film Festival Day benefits both the filmmakers and the festivals who will continue to showcase their films post-pandemic.”
A film festival favorite that has touched and enthralled audiences around the country as it introduced them to the world of synchronized ice skating, Pinaglia’s LIFE IN SYNCHRO follows a skating season alongside the stars of today, the newcomers, the passionate amateurs and the founders of the sport as they push their teams and themselves to be too good to ignore. But will it be enough to get their sport off the fringes and into the Olympic spotlight? From a young Team USA skater with big dreams, a 65-year-old amateur skater embracing this next chapter of life with her team, to a woman who was on the first synchro team back in 1956, who is now trying to get the founder of synchro, the credit he deserves for creating the sport that gave her so much, LIFE IN SYNCHRO interweaves each woman’s vastly different journeys, from all around the U.S., as they and these determined teams are out to prove the staying power of synchro.
LIFE IN SYNCHRO was directed, edited and produced by Pinaglia. Nicole Davies is the film’s executive producer. As part of the special Film Festival Day presentation, both will participate in a Q&A along with the film’s subjects Emily Fitzgerald (a former competitive skater on the Dearborn Crystallettes), Heidi Coffin (a 68-year-old adult skater on the Maine DownEasters), and Peggy MacDonald (who was a skater on the first ever synchro team in 1956 and went on to coach the first ever national champions of the sport in 1984), The Q&A will be moderated by Women Sports Film Festival’s Co-Founder Susan Sullivan.
Pinaglia said, “Synchronized skating is the closest thing I have ever seen to a women’s utopia, and it’s not in an alternative reality or in the far off future. It exists in the here and now. LIFE IN SYNCHRO captures the promise of what can be – for the sport, the athletes, and ultimately all women.”
All ticket purchases for the Film Festival Day presentation of LIFE IN SYNCHRO will receive a one-time link to watch the movie at home.
To purchase a ticket, please go to filmfestivalday.com.
