CSFF
Film of the Month
Canadian Sport Film Festival
Film of the Month
CSFF is pleased to feature a Film of the Month series.
Each month we showcase a different short film about sport from around the world.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics opening on July 26, the CSFF Film of the Month for July is The Boy Who Learned to Fly – an animated short about Usain Bolt, produced by Gatorade for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
2016, Animation, United States
7 minutes, English
‘The Boy Who Learned to Fly’ also screened at CSFF 2017.
Check out our Film of the Month Archive for the short films we’ve shared since July 2022.
Behind the Scenes - The Making of 'The Boy Who Learned to Fly'
Film of the Month
June 2024
![Image of Muslim American girl Nayla from short film 'Tryouts' by Susana Casares - CSFF Film of the Month for June 2024 #CSFFFOTM](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tryouts_CSFF_FOTM_June-2024-500x500.png)
Tryouts
Nayla, a Muslim-American girl, tries out for her high school cheerleading team – will she make the cut?
2013, Drama, United States
14 minutes, English
Director: Susana Casares
- EMMY’s Foundation College Television Award Winner – Best Drama
- Best Short winner at multiple film festivals – awards list on Vimeo
May 2024
Man to Man
Tensions fly when a teen must fight his father in the boxing ring as he decides he cannot be the kind of man his father wants him to be, and refuses to learn how to fight.
2023, Drama, United Kingdom
19 minutes, English
Director: Shehroze Khan
- Nominated for a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award and an Independent Spirit Award
- Screened with JessZilla on CSFF 2023 Opening Night
- Watch the Man to Man trailer
March 2024
International Women's Day
![Image from The Fighting Cholitas short doc - CSFF Film of the Month FOTM](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-Fighting-Cholitas-female-wrestler-CSFFFOTM.png)
The Fighting Cholitas
Meet The Fighting Cholitas! These bold, Bolivian female wrestlers enter the ring every Sunday in their multilayered skirts to perform the acrobatic maneuvers of Lucha Libre.
2006, Documentary Short, United States
20 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Mariam Jobrani
- Sundance 2007 – Honorable Mention
- Best Short Documentary – 2007 Aspen, Atlanta and Nashville film festivals
February 2024
Black History Month
![Black and white image of Black Canadian track legend Harry Jerome from the NFB short doc 'Harry Jerome: The Fastest Man on Earth' and feature doc 'Mighty Jerome'](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Harry-Jerome-NFB-docs-500x500.png)
Harry Jerome: The Fastest Man on Earth
Canadian athlete Harry Jerome was once the fastest man on earth. He overcame racism and a career-ending injury to achieve one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
Harry’s life and achievements inspired the Harry Jerome International Track Classic – Canada’s longest-running track & field event.
2011, Documentary Short, Canada
10 minutes
Director: Ileana Pietrobruno
This short doc was made especially for younger students, with content adapted from the NFB feature-length doc Mighty Jerome, directed by Charles Officer.
January 2024
![Image from the #CSFF23 short doc 'Friday Night Blind' showing a Black woman named Judy who is blind and holding a bowling ball.](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Friday-Night-Blind_sq-500x500.png)
Friday night Blind
Three visually impaired friends introduce us to their Friday night bowling league where there is no shortage of strikes, spares, gutter balls, trash talking, and victory dancing.
2022, Documentary Short, United States
13 minutes
Directors: Scott Krahn & Robb Fischer
FRIDAY NIGHT BLIND screened at CSFF 2023 and was featured in The New Yorker in 2024.
August 2023
![- short film directed by Johnson Cheng. Screened at CSFF 2018.](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Iron-Hands_CSFF-FOTM-768x767.png)
Iron Hands
A twelve-year old girl tries out for the all-boys Chinese youth Olympic weightlifting team. Before her final test, she makes an unlikely connection with the weightlifting gym’s reclusive groundskeeper.
2017, Drama, China, United States
11 minutes
Chinese, with English sub-titles
Director: Johnson Cheng
IRON HANDS screened at CSFF 2018.
July 2023
![Kickstart_Street Soccer Canada_CSFFFOTM](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Kickstart_Street-Soccer-Canada_CSFFFOTM-500x500.png)
Kickstart
Street Soccer Canada sponsored Team Canada at the 2014 Homeless World Cup in Santiago, Chile. In the short doc KICKSTART, players and coaches reflect on the positive impacts playing soccer has had on their lives.
2014, Documentary, Canada
12 minutes
Director: Richard Fitoussi
Homeless World Cup – How it began
Watch Street Leagues – a 2020 feature-length doc about the Irish Homeless Street Leagues.
June 2023
![Still image from the short doc 'Inuit High Kick' directed by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril.](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Inuit-High-Kick-Alethea-Arnaquq-Baril-CSFF-FOTM-500x500.png)
Inuit High Kick
Director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril uses super slow motion to magnify the incredible skill and physicality needed to perform the Inuit one-foot high kick — a traditional Inuit event in which the athlete stands on one foot, jumps in the air, kicks a suspended sealskin ball, then lands on the same foot.
2009, Documentary, Canada
2 minutes
Director:
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
May 2023
![Image of Bill McFadyen, 73-year-old power lifter from Scotland from the short doc 'Ma Bar' (2009).](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Ma-Bar-2009-doc-image-square-500x500.png)
Ma Bar
Scotland’s Bill McFadyen was a world champion power lifter at age 73. His Masters 4 world record for bench press at 175kg (385 lbs) still stands.
2009, Documentary, United Kingdom
12 minutes
Produced and Directed by:
Adrian McDowall & Finlay Pretsell
March 2023
![Image from Just Breathe short doc about female water polo player who overcame anxiety and assault.](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Just-Breathe-short-doc-2015-CSFF-FOTM-e1691440351717.jpg)
Just Breathe
A competitive water polo player overcomes anxiety and assault to realize her dreams as a college athlete and leader.
2015, Documentary, United States
8 minutes
Director: Ben Steinbauer
December 2022
![Poster for the film Gnarly in Pink with 3 6-year old girls in helmets with skateboards](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gnarly-in-Pink.png)
Gnarly In Pink
Celebrating the “Pink Helmet Posse”, three feisty 6-year-old girls who prove that skateboarding is not just for boys.
2014, Documentary, United States
8 minutes
Directors: Kristelle Laroche and Ben Mullinkosson
November 2022
![Boy defends football goal as a ball comes towards him](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/my-greatest-day-ever.jpeg)
My Greatest Day Ever
On the morning of the football grand final Scotty’s lucky sock is nowhere to be found. Scotty must battle his superstition to try to save the big game.
2007, Drama, Australia
9 minutes
Director: Mark Bellamy
October 2022
![Image: Close up of a ballet dancer’s legs standing wide with her toes on pointe. Film title below image: The Perfect Fit](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/the-perfect-fit.jpeg)
The Perfect Fit
Dedicated craftsmen masterfully create perfect footwear for the graceful and demanding athletic artistry of ballet.
2011, Documentary, United Kingdom
9 minutes
Director: Tali Yankelevich
September 2022
![A Black boy in a yellow shirt rests a baseball bat over his shoulder. Film title above image: Baseball in the Time of Cholera](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/baseball-in-the-time-of-cholera.jpeg)
Baseball in the Time of Cholera
A young baseball player dreams of the big leagues amid the tragedy and scandal of Haiti’s cholera epidemic.
2012, Documentary, Haiti
28 minutes
Directors: David Darg and Bryn Mooser
(RYOT Films)
August 2022
![The torso of a female synchronized swimmer below the waterline. Film title above: Waterbabies](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Water-Babies.jpg)
Waterbabies
Discover the strength, grace and artistry of synchronized swimming through the eyes of a teenage team.
2015, Documentary, United States, United Kingdom
16 minutes
Director: Nora Ballard
July 2022
![](https://sportfilmfestival.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Fast-Horse-film-poster-819x1024.png)
Fast Horse
Capturing the thrill of “North America’s original extreme sport”: Blackfoot bareback horse racing Indian Relay.
2018, Documentary, Canada
13 minutes
Director: Alexandra Lazarowich