Documentary Production and Distribution News

Men's Roller Derby Documentary "This Is How I Roll" To Premiere At Seattle Film Festival

By StudentFilmmakers.com
posted Apr 30, 2012, 10:31

(Seattle, WA) - �This Is How I Roll�, a feature length documentary about men�s roller derby, will premiere at the 2012 Seattle True Independent Film Festival on May 10th.

Alternately hilarious and thought provoking, the film follows the pioneers of men�s roller derby as they fight to move from being seen as a joke to earning respect, yet without ever taking themselves too seriously. It also spotlights how conflicting ideas about gender influence our perceptions of sports, athletes, ownership and entitlement -- something current coverage of roller derby has yet to tackle.

Directed by Kat Vecchio, the film follows the men as they build teams, develop intense rivalries, and seek legitimacy from female skaters who don�t exactly welcome them to the track.

�I was still skating back in 2008 and was amazed at the arguments I heard about why guys shouldn�t play,� says Vecchio, a former derby skater. �I absolutely understood the desire of the female skaters to protect this sport they had built from the ground up. But the arguments against men skating were eerily close to the discrimination women often deal with in sports.�

Vecchio�s filmmaking partner, Joe Mihalchick, is a current roller derby skater, and this gave them unusual access to both male and female experiences and perspectives throughout the filmmaking process.

�This Is How I Roll� will screen at the Central Cinema on May 10th at 9:00pm as part of the Seattle True Independent Film Festival. A Q&A with the filmmakers, and local skater Mo �Quadzilla� Sanders will follow the screening.





Resources:

www.thisishowirollmovie.com