Underdogs will have its world premiere at the 2024 @phillyfilmfestival . It’s only right that a Philly story is first shared in its city!
Come join us at one of the two showings:
Tuesday, October 22, 6:15 PM at the Philadelphia Film Center
Sunday, October 27, 5:45 PM, PFS East 2
Tickets are now available to the public at filmadelphia.org.
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Underdogs is Executive produced by @connorbarwin98 and @maestro.kris and directed by @mariavattimo
Produced by @maestrofilmworks .
#underdogsdoc #mtwb #phillyfilmfestival
UNDERDOGS is a short documentary executive produced by @connorbarwin98 and @maestro.kris and directed by @mariavattimo
After losing their practice facility in 2019, the Vare Gymnastics Team in Philadephia continues to defy the odds. The team’s strength and spirit never wavered despite having to move from gym to gym over the years. Their determination inspires the city and @mtwbfoundation to build a new state-of-the-art facility for the team and community.
Produced by @maestrofilmworks .
#underdogsdoc #varereccenter #mtwb #philly #maestrofilmworks #verayproductions #documentary #shortdoc #indiefilm
WE WON AN EMMY!!!
So grateful for the honor of receiving a Mid-Atlantic EMMY Award for our film this past weekend. Our team was on hand to receive the award at the official ceremony and it was a great testament to village it took to produce this film.
Thank you to @connorbarwin98 and the @mtwbfoundation for trusting us with telling this story; to the coaches and gymnasts of the Vare Gymnastics team for welcoming us into their world; to our director @mariavattimo for telling this story in such an artful way; and to the many hands that it took to bring this film to life.
We hope to find a permanent home for our film after our festival run to be able to further share this very Philly story with the rest of the world, but in the meantime, we are going to bask in this win and share it with the team. 🙏🏽🏆
From Underdogs to unstoppable,
the incredible gymnasts at Vare Rec have trained all year and now have the chance to shine at the USAG Gymnastics Meets this November. But they can’t get there without YOU!
Registration, travel, and uniforms come with big costs due well before competition and your donation today helps make it possible.
Every dollar counts:
💵 $10 helps with travel
💵 $50 helps with uniforms
💵 $100 helps cover competition fees
Let’s rally for these young athletes and give them the stage they deserve.
Donate now and help these gymnasts leap toward their dreams! 🔗 Link in bio.
#Underdogs #SupportYouthSports #VareRec #Gymnastics #PhillyYouth
Underdogs has been nominated for an Emmy!! 🏆
We are extremely honored to be in contention for Long Form Branded Content category in this year’s @emmymidatlantic awards and look forward to the awards ceremony next month!
#Emmys #MidAtlanticEmmys #BrandedContent #DocumentaryFilm #Storytelling #Filmmaking #PhillyCreatives #AwardSeason
Underdogs is officially heading to the Chesapeake Film Festival! 🎉
We’re honored to be part of this year’s lineup. Thank you @chesapeakefilmfestival for the selection. More details soon!
We’re excited to share that Underdogs has been officially selected for the New York Lift-Off Film Festival! 🎬
Thank you @liftoffglobalnetwork for recognizing our film!
#UnderdogsDoc #LiftOffGlobalNetwork #NYLiftOff2025
We’re excited to announce that Underdogs has been officially selected for the New Hope Film Festival, taking place August 15–24, 2025!
Can’t wait to celebrate this story on screen once again. Huge thanks to @newhopefilm for including us.
#UnderdogsDoc #NewHopeFilmFestival #Documentary
Meet our composer, Christian Mariano aka Mountain 🎼
Mountain is an artist and composer, originally hailing from the Philadelphia area, whose emotive, layered soundscapes helped shape the heart of Underdogs.
His music underscores the strength, vulnerability, and resilience of the VARE Gymnastics team.
#UnderdogsDoc #MountainMusic
Shoutout to our lighting sponsor, @denali_lights !
They helped bring our last shoot day to life by providing the gear we needed to craft the film’s visuals. Grateful for their support, check them out! #UnderdogsDoc #DenaliLights
Meet our next producer, @joshenfilms ! 🎥
Jo Shen is a 2x Emmy-winning director and producer based in Philadelphia, whose work quietly illuminates the overlooked moments of life, inviting us to reflect on the delicate, unspoken threads that define a life fully lived.
As a producer on Underdogs, Jo brought her creative vision and storytelling expertise to the project, helping shape the story of the Vare Gymnastics team and their fight to keep doing what they love.
Jo’s work has been featured at Tribeca Film Festival and on NBC Sports and she’s just as passionate about uplifting local stories right here in Philly.
#UnderdogsDoc
