Our friends at Highlight Media are producing a documentary about the real-life struggles and triumphs of independent wrestlers on the Central Coast of California. This is a unique and ambitious project, and it is one in which you can help.
The filmmakers seek to explore the psychological dynamics of independent wrestlers, including what drives them to participate in the sport, how they balance their “9 to 5” lives with their wrestling careers and how they define “success” in the industry. The documentary also seeks to portray how family oriented the Independent Wrestling Circuit often is (both in terms of the participants themselves and the surrogate family that often arises with colleagues in the business) as well as the socioeconomically diverse fan base that continues to come out to support the sport.
While there have been some previous documentaries discussing independent professional wrestling on the East Coast independent circuits, none have adequately explored the complex “real lives” of these professional athletes to any great degree. Particularly in the dynamic and competitive independent circuit on the West Coast of the U.S., many wrestlers may devote their entire lives to becoming successful as wrestlers often at the expensive of making sacrifices concerning their family, health and financial status.
Likewise, despite their exhibitionism in the ring, many wrestlers are very private people who are hesitant to share their personal lives with fans. Luckily, the filmmakers have secured participants who are willing to be “open books” for the project, providing the filmmakers with a “bird’s eye view” on their day-to-day struggles and triumphs.
The feature-length documentary is estimated to be approximately 75 minutes in length. It will be made available in DVD, Blu-Ray disc (and possibly at a later time, hi-definition digital download) formats and will also contain “behind the scenes” footage from the production of the film and interviews with fans. The documentary will be submitted to numerous film festivals. A world premiere screening is anticipated to take place in December of 2012 (specific day/time to be determined) at a location in San Luis Obispo or Northern Santa Barbara counties on the Central Coast of California. Further public screenings in other counties are also anticipated to occur. Additionally, a website (www.wrestlingwithlife.net), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/wrestlingwithlife) and Twitter account will be created to share information and increase awareness about the documentary. The filmmakers ultimate goal is to create an award-winning documentary that will eventually be made available online for digital viewing through Netflix, Hulu, etc., thus ensuring the widest possible audience. This is your chance to help make that dream a reality!
In order to carry out the documentary project, Vendetta Pro Wrestling and Highlight Media need your help. A 30-day Kickstarter fundraising page has been created for the filmmakers to raise the necessary funds to cover equipment and production costs. A wide range of suggested donation options are available, each with its own unique and exciting benefits. Some of these benefits include receiving a limited edition, signed DVD or Blu-Ray copy of the documentary when itâs completed, a complimentary VIP pass to the world premier screening of the documentary (anticipated to take place in December of 2012), as well as opportunities to be personally featured in âbehind the scenesâ bonus video content of the film. The documentary will only be carried out if funds can be raised by August 6th so please âdig deepâ and get the word out so that Vendetta and its loyal fans finally get the increased visibility and recognition we deserve!
For more information, as well as to contribute financially, please visit
www.kickstarter.com/projects/highlightmedia/wrestling-with-life-feature-length-documentary
Original Article
