May 7, 2006

A pre-release screening of Miramax's new film The Heart of the Game will be held Wednesday, June 7, 2006 at 7 p.m. in University Crossings Screening Room 028 (3175 JFK Boulevard).

The Heart of the Game is a new documentary showing that there is much more to being part of a team than just winning games. This moving story follows six years in the life of Seattle's Roosevelt High School girls' basketball team, their inspirational coach, and one player's journey from outsider to teammate.

Documentary filmmaker Ward Serrill found a winning subject in Bill Resler, a college professor who moonlights coaching girls' basketball with Roosevelt High School's Roughriders. The lead character, Darnellia Russell, is a tough, inner-city girl with WNBA potential whose off-court struggles threaten her athletic aspirations. The Heart of the Game chronicles real-life events, as well as real-life struggle, heartbreak and joy.

The Heart of the Game is enjoying a successful run on the festival circuit with screenings in Silverdocs: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival and the San Francisco, Toronto and Tribeca Film Festivals. It will be released soon to theaters. A panel discussion and reception will follow the screening. This event is sponsored by the department of athletics and the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.