Foton.Pictures and Superfilms has announced that their Primetime Emmy-nominated documentary CHANGING THE GAME – a journey of family, sports, love and life, which follows the lives of three transgender high school athletes, will be released post-Olympics on all UK streaming platforms.
Directed by Michael Barnett and produced by Alex Schmider and Clare Tucker, CHANGING THE GAME takes us into the lives of three high school athletes — all at different stages of their athletic seasons, personal lives, and unique paths as trans teens. Each athlete competes inspiringly in their fields, challenging the boundaries and perceptions of fairness.
Their stories span Sarah, a skier and teen policymaker, to Andraya, a track star whose story sparked strong media attention, and Mack Beggs, who made headlines when he became the Texas State Champion in wrestling and was heralded as a hero by somewhile receiving hate and threats from others.
These teens, in playing the sports they love, receive hate and threats, in person and online. “More than 40% of trans teens have considered or attempted suicide.” [Source: The Williams Institute (2021)]
However, despite the challenges they face up against, their authenticity is undeniable.
The film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, Best Sports Documentary at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards and a Peabody Award for Documentary. It went on to win the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary, Audience Awards at Outfest Los Angeles for Best Documentary as well as the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival.
The film had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, where Senior Programmer Lucy Mukerjee wrote: “Trans athletes have to work harder than their cisgender peers in order to thrive in their field while also having the courage and resilience to face daily harassment and discrimination. The kids in this film have found sports as a way to channel the negativity around them into a positive, to gain a sense of self-worth and validation. This film is their urgent, articulate plea for acceptance.”
Director Michael Barnett said: “We are thrilled that the film will be released on streaming platforms in the UK and we hope the film opens up meaningful and important conversations around acceptance, not only on the field but across all areas of our daily lives.”
