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New Moderator to Join WSIU at Screening on Jan 16 of "In Football We Trust"

ITVS

For Immediate Release

Friday, January 8, 2016 - UPDATED

Contacts: Beth Spezia, WSIU Educational Outreach Coordinator, (618) 453-5595, beth.spezia@wsiu.org; Lisa Tawil, ITVS, (415) 356-8383, ext. 244, lisa_tawil@itvs.org

Press materials: http://itvs.org/films/in-football-we-trust/photos-and-press-kit

WSIU, Carbondale Public Library to Host Indie Lens Pop-Up Screening of “In Football We Trust”

Free Event is Next Saturday, January 16 at 2:30pm at the Library

Carbondale, ILIndie Lens Pop-Up, presented by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), the PBS series Independent Lens, WSIU Public Broadcasting, a service of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and the Carbondale Public Library, is excited to present a free screening and discussion of In Football We Trust, a film by Tony Vainuku and Erika Cohn.

The event will be held on Saturday, January 16 at 2:30pm at the Carbondale Public Library. Snow date is January 23 at 2:30pm should inclement weather arise.

Discussion moderators for the local screening are Bryan Lee, Football Coach at Carbondale Community High School, and Kathy Renfro, Director of the Carbondale Park District.              

In Football We Trust transports viewers deep inside the tightly-knit and complex Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, Utah, one of the chief sources for the modern influx of Pacific Islander football players to the NFL. Shot over a four-year period with intimate access, the film follows four young Polynesian men striving to overcome gang violence and poverty through the promise of American football. Despite overwhelming obstacles, Polynesians are 28 times more likely than any other ethnic group to make it in the NFL, a surprising statistic that opens the film. Some refer to this phenomenon as a “calling” or a gift from God; others credit genetics, socio-cultural influences or stereotyping, or the push and pull of global sports capitalism.

Many Polynesian families view football as their ticket out of economic hardship and gang life, but In Football We Trust reveals those expectations to often be unrealistic and to place insurmountable pressure on these young players. The film also includes footage and interviews with current and former NFL players Troy Polamalu, Haloti Ngata, Star Lotulelei, and Vai Sikahema. In Football We Trust premieres on Independent Lens and WSIU-TV on Monday, January 25 at 9pm.

For more information, visit http://itvs.org/films/in-football-we-trust or http://pbs.org/independentlens/films/in-football-we-trust. You may also visit WSIU’s local web page at http://www.wsiu.org/indielenspopup. Questions about screenings may be directed to the Carbondale Public Library at (618) 457-0354 or WSIU at (618) 453-5595.

About the Filmmakers

Tony Vainuku (Director) comes from a culture of third world traditions and a family of athletes. His first career aspirations began on the field as a budding professional football player from Salt Lake City, UT. After high school, he spent some time in the corporate world before enrolling at Westminster College in Utah to study business marketing in order to launch businesses around his passions of directing, writing, and filmmaking. After graduating with a B.S. in business marketing, Vainuku founded Soulprofile Productions, a multimedia company specializing in the creation of web ads, promotional video content and music production. In 2011, Vainuku founded and launched Soulpro, a lifestyle apparel brand built on the philosophy of Passion is Purpose®. In its three years of business, Soulpro has grown across the western United States and been actively involved in collaborating with and promoting hundreds of musicians, artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs.

Erika Cohn (Producer and Co-Director) a native Utahan, grew up attending the Sundance Film Festival, where she first began her career. Although her films differ in place and time, religion and culture remain a recurring theme and her passion for social change the driving factor. In 2008, Cohn traveled to Cambodia where she shot Giant Steps, a documentary about the reinstitution of art after Khmer Rouge rule, which aired on PBS. In 2010, Cohn was associate producer for the FRONTLINE/American Experience co-production God in America, a six-part historical series exploring the intersection of religion and public life in the nation. Cohn has received numerous accolades for her work, including a Directors Guild of America award for When the Voices Fade, a narrative profile of the Lebanese-Israeli war of 2006, and was recently admitted into the CPB Producers Academy. Cohn has been a featured panelist/speaker on independent film financing at film festivals and university conferences and mentors youth filmmakers across the globe. She attended Chapman University in California, where she graduated with degrees in film production and Middle Eastern Studies. Cohn is an avid documentary photographer, shooting primarily the lives of women in conflict zones, and serves as a US Ambassadorial Film Scholar to Israel.

About Indie Lens Pop-Up

Indie Lens Pop-Up is a neighborhood series that brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on the PBS series Independent Lens, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics to family and relationships. Make friends, share stories, and join the conversation. Can't attend in person? Find Independent Lens on Facebook for information on our online Pop-Up events.

About Independent Lens

Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing on PBS Monday nights at 9pm CST. The acclaimed series features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by Independent Television Service, the series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding from PBS and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. For more visit pbs.org/independentlens. Join the conversation: facebook.com/independentlens and on Twitter @IndependentLens.

About WSIU Public Broadcasting

WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than three million people across five states and beyond through three digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website, and an education and community outreach department.

WSIU's mission is to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The WSIU stations partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.

WSIU's programs and services are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

About the Carbondale Public Library

The Carbondale Public Library provides resources and services to support the educational, informational, cultural, and recreational needs of the Carbondale community. The library provides free services to all residents living within the city boundaries and is part of the Shawnee Library System.

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