The Kicking + Screening Soccer Film Festival kicks off tonight from N.Y. with four feature films, two shorts and a host of new partners, highlighting the success the event has achieved since its '09 debut. The festival runs through Friday at Manhattan’s Scandinavia House, which sold out the 168-seat venue at $15 per ticket for Opening Night. Festival co-Founder and co-director
Rachel Markus started the event with current MLS VP/Content
Greg Lalas, as both saw the need for a U.S.-based film festival to help grow passion and support for the sport. The festival also partners with a different soccer charity each year.
All of this year’s features debuted in either '15 or '16 and have a decidedly international bent. One of the films being shown is “Celtic Soul,” a documentary that follows soccer journalist Eoin O’Callaghan and comedian Jay Baruchel as they travel through Canada, Ireland and Scotland on their way to a match at Celtic Park in Glasgow. O’Callaghan said, “We hope audiences go back home knowing a little bit more about a very special sports franchise, but also have a better understanding of Irish and Scottish history: Politics, culture, fandom and the very unique nature of what sport can do to people.”
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Einstök Beer Company, Italian soccer club Venezia FC and Herrick’s Sports Law Group have all signed on as partners for this year. Local MLS clubs NYC FC and the Red Bulls are supporting partners, as is French financial services company Societe Generale. America SCORES, a national non-profit that helps urban youth through soccer programs, poetry and service-learning, will be the beneficiary of a portion of the festival’s proceeds this year.
Markus, who played soccer growing up and is a self-described film lover, was living in London when she came up with the idea. N.Y. hosts the flagship festival, though the event has been taken on the road to Portland and DC, as well as overseas to Amsterdam, London and India. They are already gearing up for next year’s event in N.Y. with it being a World Cup year, and are also eyeing an event in L.A. She added, “A combination of ticket sales and sponsorship agreements will enable us to cover the costs of the festival and give something to the charity.” However, she said, “Selling out is nice, but that has never been how I’ve evaluated success.”
