The Champions Press Kit4

Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit FIREFLYFILMWORKS Presents Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS
HAMPTONS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2015 ZELDA PENZEL “GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS” AWARD Dedicated to those who suffer in silence. The following will be available for telephone interviews: Darcy Dennett—Director/Producer Paul & Melissa Fiaccone —family of Victory Dog, Cherry
Susan Weidel —family of Victory Dog, Little Red Francis Battista—Co-­‐Founder, Best Friends Animal Society Michelle Weaver—Director of Animal Care, Best Friends Animal Society John Garcia—Manager of Dogtown, Best Friends Animal Society Directed and Produced by: Co-­‐Producer: Cinematography by: Film Editor: Music by: Running Time: The Champion’s Website: The Champion’s Facebook Page: Best Friends Animal Society: Darcy Dennett / www.darcydennett.com Lindsay Rothenberg Justin Hanrahan ACS Julio F. Lastres Jeff Beal 93 minutes www.championsdocumentary.com Facebook.com/TheChampionsDocumentary www.bestfriends.org Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Synopsis: The Champions is an inspirational story about the pit-­‐bulls rescued from the brutal fighting ring of Atlanta Falcon’s star quarterback Michael Vick, and those who risked it all to save them, despite pressure from PETA and The Humane Society of the United States to euthanize the dogs. It is a story of second-­‐chances, redemption and hope. This uplifting documentary takes us on a journey about much more than just dogs—about prejudice, being misunderstood, the power of resilience, and the significance of the relationship we as humans have with animals. ABOUT BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY: Best Friends Animal Society is the only national animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. A leader in the no-­‐kill movement, Best Friends runs the nation's largest no-­‐kill sanctuary for companion animals, as well as lifesaving programs in partnership with rescue groups and shelters across the country. Since its founding in 1984, Best Friends has helped reduce the number of animals killed in American shelters from 17 million per year to an estimated 4 million. By continuing to build effective initiatives that reduce the number of animals entering shelters and increase the number who find homes, Best Friends and its nationwide network of members and partners are working to Save Them All®.
For additional information about The Champions movie or Best Friends Animal Society, please contact: Eric Rayvid – ericr@bestfriends.org – 917-­‐861-­‐8290 Temma Martin – temmam@bestfriends.org -­‐ 801-­‐953-­‐8876 To become a fan of Best Friends Animal Society on Facebook go to: http://www.facebook.com/bestfriendsanimalsociety Follow Best Friends on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bestfriends PREFERRED CONTENT Kevin Iwashina and Zac Bright zac@preferredcontent.net 323-­‐782-­‐9193 Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT As a New-­‐York based documentary director producer and cinematographer, I’ve worked on some very interesting projects. I’ve covered heart-­‐breaking topics ranging from the sex trafficking of underage girls in Washington DC and poverty in America, to stories about cultures all over the world, from nomadic tribes in Africa to the jungles of Borneo. I love that I’m constantly learning and that I get the luxury of forming my own opinion first-­‐hand. In 2008, I was working on National Geographic’s TV series Dogtown and found myself caught up in the drama that would eventually inspire The Champions. As producer of the series, I spent months at Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, where their 3,700 acre sanctuary is situated. Through filming countless stories about dogs rescued, I came to understand what Best Friends’ no-­‐kill philosophy means first-­‐hand—that every animal deserves a second chance, no matter what. Founded in the 70s by an idealistic group of friends who dreamed of creating a better world for all creatures, the work of Best Friends spoke to the idealist in me—to the notion that every single one of us has the power to make the world a better place, if only we are willing to try. While filming the second season, news broke that Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback Michael Vick was implicated in a long-­‐running, illegal dog-­‐fighting ring. The case shone a public light into the shadowy world of dog fighting, where men gather in secret to gamble and force innocent animals to fight to their deaths. Vick pled guilty to “Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture.” He served 23 months in prison. None of this was for animal cruelty. Left behind in the aftermath were over 50 pit bulls. Dogs whose only experience with humans involved fear and brutality. The judicial system had saved them from the fighting ring, but what was our duty to them now? The Humane Society of the United States considered the dogs the most aggressively trained pit bulls in the country, and PETA described them as a “ticking time bomb.” Both felt the dogs should be killed. A few smaller organizations like BADRAP, a San Francisco-­‐ based pit bull rescue organization, stepped up to take the dogs considered most adoptable. But Best Friends Animal Society agreed to take 22 dogs that no one else could, the dogs many considered the most difficult. Best Friends had taken on many difficult dogs before, but taking 22 dogs that might require sanctuary for life is a challenge for any organization, no matter how well established. It was a big responsibility, and the entire reputation of pit bulls as a “breed” was at stake. We followed Best Friends’ trainers all the way cross country to the East coast, filming the dogs’ first steps towards a new life at the sanctuary. Like many, I imagined that pit bulls rescued from a dogfighting ring would be scary, dangerous, and aggressive. The media jumped onto the bandwagon, sensationalizing the dogs as “blood-­‐thirsty killers,” but they were telling one side of the story. Most dogs refuse to fight unless they have been subjected to extreme deprivation and cruelty over the course of time. If given mood-­‐altering drugs and then agitated, a dog has a higher chance of lashing out, oftentimes in defense of its own life. But most pit bulls flat out refuse to fight, which in dogfighting rings almost always results in certain death. As noted in the USDA investigative report about the Michael Vick case entitled “Bad Newz Kennels,” dogs who refused to fight or underperformed were routinely killed by one of a number of people who were involved with the ring. According to the report, dogs were shot with a .22 caliber handgun, hanged by nylon cord, electrocuted, or drowned in a 5 gallon bucket of water. According to the report, Vick initially denied killing any dogs himself. However, according to the report: “Vick was administered a polygraph examination by the FBI. Vick failed the examination as it related to the killing of the dogs in April 2007. Ultimately, Vick recanted his previous statement wherein he said he was not actually involved in the killing of six to eight dogs on or about April 19, 2007. Vick admitted taking part in the actual hanging of the dogs.” Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit There was a growing sense that the dogs were the victims, but in the beginning I was fearful while filming with them. I consider myself to be relatively brave, but it seemed like good common sense to use extreme caution while filming in a closed “run” with a pit bull rescued from a notorious dog-­‐fighting case. But from the moment we started filming as the pit bulls settled in at the sanctuary, it quickly became clear that for the most part, the dogs were frightened, abused, under-­‐socialized dogs who were completely misunderstood and deserved a second chance. The thing that probably surprised me the most was seeing how incredibly friendly two particular dogs—named Georgia and Lucas—were with people, despite the fact it is thought they were both champion fighters. Despite a multitude of scars on Lucas’ face, all he wanted to do when I went into his run was smother me with kisses. A small black male named “Cherry Garcia” stands out in my mind more than the others. Cherry was terrified of everything around him. The dog had probably never known a kind gesture or word, the stability of being fed twice a day, the comfort of a warm bed or a toy, or the smallest shred of pleasure. When anyone came near, his body would hit the floor like a soldier under attack. We followed Cherry’s trainers for months, as they worked tirelessly to demonstrate that there was much more to life than just fear. We all hoped for rehabilitation and perhaps one day, adoption for some of the dogs. But if it were possible at all, it would be years away, making it difficult if not impossible to follow. Years passed, and life moved on, though I continued to follow the dogs’ story out of personal interest. A few years later back home in New York City, I attended a fundraising event organized by Best Friends called “Strut Your Mutt.” A bring-­‐your-­‐own-­‐dog walk along the Hudson River where I enjoyed a stroll with my own dog. As the event drew to a close, I noticed a couple holding a small black pit bull on a leash—tail wagging happily as he interacted with people around him. I recognized that we had filmed with the couple during the course of Dogtown, but it took me a few moments to realize that the dog they had adopted at the end of the leash was Cherry—a pit bull who was once so traumatized that he refused to even walk, given a second chance in life. A small group of admirers had formed a semi-­‐
circle around him, eager to meet a star of Dogtown and one of the dogs rescued from Michael Vick’s property. “People never change.” But here was Cherry—a dog who had experienced so much trauma, but had learned to trust people and enjoy life. The transformation was beyond anything I could have imagined possible and looking back, through contradictory tears of realization and disbelief, it was in that moment that Cherry inspired me to make “The Champions.” Cherry’s story, and the story of the dogs, had to be told. Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Dogfighting happens all over and most of the time people don’t even hear about it. But because Michael Vick was famous, the dogs rescued from Bad Newz Kennels got lots of attention. The public started asking the government “why do you have to kill these dogs?” In the movie Rebecca Huss, the federal court appointed Guardian/Special Master of the case, says that “the judge in this case said he had gotten 3,000 emails about this case. His administrative assistant was taking 200 calls a day.” Previous groundwork that helped positively shape the outcome of this case had been laid for years by animal rescue and advocacy organizations who had been telling governmental authorities dogs like these don’t have to die, that they were victims who deserved a second chance. Some people say that Michael Vick has served his time—that he has paid his debt to society. But most people don’t realize that Vick served time for “Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture,” a federal offense because Vick had transported dogs across state lines in support of a criminal activity. At the state level, Vick pled guilty to one felony count of dogfighting but the sentence was suspended and animal cruelty charges were dropped. Vick never served a single day in jail for animal cruelty. To me it makes little sense that Vick, who had taken part in all the activities outlined in the USDA’s investigative report, did not spend a single day in jail for animal cruelty. It’s equally surprising that the public outcry about that wasn’t louder. It seems to me that the media glossed over the gruesome details of the USDA investigative report from the Office of the Inspector General, outlining multiple eyewitness accounts of what may have happened, a publicly available document.1 We didn’t have time throughout the course of the film to talk about the need for stiffer penalties for horrific crimes against animals. The documentary is not about “animal cruelty syndrome,” a term coined by Charles Seibert in the New York Times, in an article outlining the link between animal cruelty and other forms of violence.2 The documentary is not about the lack of accountability of the NFL and its players. And the documentary really isn’t about Michael Vick. I wanted to tell the story that no one else was telling—the story about the dogs themselves. It would have made sense to include visuals of dogfighting. Portraying more about dogfighting may have strengthened the emotional impact of how far the dogs have come today. But we purposefully chose to avoid these kinds of visuals in the film for a number of reasons. Some might argue that deciding not to show dogfighting is missing half the story, but it really wasn’t the story I was interested in exploring, and I didn’t want to create a visual manual for dogfighting. Moreover, in my experience producing Dogtown for National Geographic, we learned through focus groups that viewers literally would not watch imagery of dogs in pain, and I didn’t want to spend more than two years of my life working on a film that people then refused to watch. Many people I’ve spoken with who are interested in animal-­‐related issues cannot muster up the courage to see the powerful movie The Cove, for example, and from memory, there’s only one scene in the movie that’s challenging to watch. Lastly, we decided not to show visuals of pit bulls fighting because it immediately portrays the dogs as something to be feared, rather than as the victims they are. And since the whole point of the film is to positively inform the way people perceive pit bulls across the country, we decided against all of the above. Some might argue that by choosing to show mostly the more positive side of the story that I am purposefully sweeping under the rug the question of pit bulls who bite, and they do exist. Again, I’ve purposefully chosen to avoid this topic in Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit the film because it’s a story we’ve already been told countless times by the media. When a dog bites a human, more often than not it is the result of some form of extreme neglect and abuse. Many of these stories also involve a dog tied up long-­‐term on a chain, which leads to dangerous frustration and aggression. There are documented cases of the news reporting stories about a “pit bull” who has bitten someone, that in fact turns out to be another breed altogether, but the headline sounded a lot juicier when it was reported as a “pit bull.” [For more information about how the media has systematically vilified pit bulls please consult Karen Delise’s e-­‐book “The Pit Bull Placebo,” where she has written extensively and eloquently about the subject.3] As Tim Racer, Co-­‐Founder of BADRAP says in the film, “In the last 150 years, dog fighters have been trying to undo tens of thousands of years of Mother Nature saying no… these dogs are pack animals that cooperate. They’d rather do something different. They’d rather chase a Frisbee… they’d rather go for a walk, or swim, than do what dog fighters made them do.” There was a time when pit bulls were once so beloved they were considered the all-­‐American dog. But in the 1970s their reputation took a turn for the worse in the media, which led to pit bulls being the most demonized and misunderstood type of dog in the country. Today, despite the most exemplary of traits, they are the most euthanized type of dog though, ironically, in certain American temperament tests, pit bull terriers score more positively than golden retrievers or border collies. Fortunately, over the past few years, the tide has begun to turn. As the film shows, many advocates and owners now recognize that it is how humans interact with dogs that chiefly determines how dogs experience and react to the world. I wish that during the course of making the film I had chosen to spend more time following Meryl, one of two pit bulls ordered by the courts to spend the rest of her life at Best Friends Animal Society. Meryl lashed out during an early assessment by the courts, probably out of fear, and as a result was “sentenced” to a life in sanctuary. Though she was presumed too dangerous for the public, years later she has turned out to be very friendly both with people as well as with other dogs. Likewise, I wish we’d had more time to explore the handful of dogs remaining at Best Friends, a few of whom will probably never leave the sanctuary. We did manage to include them, but filmmaking is a series of difficult choices. At the end of the day, 93 minutes is not a lot of time. Some might ask why I chose to tell a story about pit bulls. I myself have a Chihuahua-­‐Miniature Pinscher mix. As a result of my experience with the dogs rescued from Michael Vick, I love pit bulls. I wanted to tell this story because I had met a group of pit bulls who were reportedly violent and aggressive. In the end most of these dogs turned out to be a group of abused and neglected cupcakes. I’ll also mention as an aside that after years of working with the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick, in the end the only dog bite I’ve ever suffered was from an innocuous-­‐looking spaniel at a dog run in Washington Square Park in New York City, who bit me, unprovoked, out of the blue. Fortunately, it was only a minor scratch. I have spent time in dog runs with both Georgia and Lucas, both presumed to be fighting champions at Vick’s compound, and with Georgia and Lucas, my biggest concern was how long to stick around and let them lick my face. Like the kid in school that the others have singled out to gang up on, I simply thought the reputation these dogs had somehow acquired was horribly unfair. Worst of all, it has resulted in millions of them being euthanized in shelters across the country. Some shelters don’t even allow pit bull terriers to be adopted out, they are simply peremptorily killed when they arrive at the shelter, no questions asked. The 90-­‐minute Dogtown episode Saving the Michael Vick Dogs that I directed and produced in 2008 was the highest rated season-­‐two premiere in National Geographic’s history, and the network’s top Friday night premiere ever, with a Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit record-­‐breaking 4.3 million viewers. And it is estimated that there are 70-­‐80 million dogs owned in the United States and that approximately 37-­‐47% of all households own a dog. To me, these numbers suggest that audiences are probably very interested in the subject matter of the film and can identify with the bonds of trust and love many of us have with our animals and their importance in our lives, a relationship that oftentimes has the potential to bring out the best in the human and animal spirit. Animal welfare issues are increasingly on the rise in our society right now, from the conditions of animals in factory farms, to fur farms, medical research, the exploitation of animals in the name of entertainment, and the unfair banning of pit bull-­‐ type dogs from various cities across the country, just because of their breed. Perhaps Gandhi’s famous observation, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” provides a message for our time, and maybe this film will give one more reason for hope. I am so encouraged that the Hamptons International Film Festival has welcomed our world premiere as part of their new Compassion, Justice and Animal Rights Section. I hope it will encourage other filmmakers to pursue other films about animal welfare in future. An image is worth a thousand words, and has the power to change so many hearts and minds. The film has been praised for intentionally choosing to show the more positive side of human nature, versus the negative, which made me extraordinarily happy to hear. My hope is that stories don’t always have to have a negative spin to grab headlines—sometimes there are positive stories worth telling, too. For me—the film is not just about pit bulls rescued from fighting rings. It’s about all pit bulls, dogs, and animals in general. It is an ode to all dogs, and to the unconditional love and joy that they bring to us humans, every single day. —Darcy Dennett 1
United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General Investigative Report, entitled Bad Newz Kennels Smithfield, Virginia, August 28, 2008. File Number HY-­‐3330-­‐0018. (http://www.usda.gov/oig/webdocs/BadNewzKennels.pdf) 2
Charles Seibert, “The Animal Cruelty Syndrome,” New York Times Magazine, June 11, 2010. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/magazine/13dogfighting-­‐t.html?_r=0) 3
Karen Delise, “The Pit Bull Placebo—The Media, Myths, and Politics of Canine Aggression,” 2007. (http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/uploaded_files/publications/230603563_Pit Bull Placebo.pdf) Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit THE FILMMAKERS DARCY DENNETT – Director/Producer Darcy Dennett has worked in photography, film, and television for nearly twenty years. Her first independent documentary feature The Champions is about the pit-­‐bulls rescued from the notorious dog-­‐
fighting ring of NFL’s Michael Vick, the Atlanta Falcon’s star quarterback—an unexpected and inspirational story of resilience and the significance of the relationship we as humans have with animals. In 2013 Darcy produced a high-­‐profile segment in Nigeria, one of the most dangerous countries in the world, for Oprah Winfrey’s landmark international series Belief about belief and religion around the world, slated to air in 2015. Darcy has worked on a wide variety of projects, from commercial and corporate work to documentary and television for networks including HBO, National Geographic, Discovery, A&E, The Food Network, and OWN, and has won numerous awards. She directed, produced and wrote five episodes of the OWN series Our America with Lisa Ling, and produced a multi-­‐million dollar advertising campaign for HSBC Bank in collaboration with National Geographic that involved travel to over 20 countries and working with some of National Geographic’s best photographers. She was the series producer of National Geographic’s Dogtown, and directed a two-­‐hour special on the pit-­‐bulls rescued from a dog-­‐fighting ring run by the Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback, Michael Vick. It was the highest-­‐rated second-­‐season premiere in network history, with 4.3 million viewers, and was given glowing reviews in both the New York and Los Angeles Times. The series was also nominated for a Genesis Award given by the Humane Society, in recognition of media illuminating animal rights issues. Darcy majored in film and studied photography at Wesleyan University, has lived and worked in New York City since 1992, and has traveled to over 50 countries. Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit LINDSAY ROTHENBERG / CO-­‐PRODUCER Co-­‐Producer Lindsay Rothenberg has been working in documentaries since receiving a BFA in Film and Television Production in 2009 from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She worked as the assistant editor on Martin Scorsese and Kent Jones' documentary A LETTER TO ELIA, for PBS’s American Masters series in 2010. She has worked on several non-­‐fiction specials and documentaries for Vh1 Rock Docs, Nickelodeon, Ovation, Bravo, and National Geographic, OWN, and Amazon Prime. JULIO F. LASTRES / EDITOR AND POST PRODUCER Editor and Post Producer Julio F. Lastres is a documentary filmmaker with over a decade of experience in television, film and branded content. Julio's credits include award winning programs for CNN, OWN, Discovery and National Geographic. Most recently, he was an editor on the series Our America with Lisa Ling, winner of the International Documentary Association Award for “Best Episodic Series” in 2014. Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit JEFF BEAL / COMPOSER Jeff Beal is a composer of music for film, media and the concert hall. With beginnings as a jazz recording artist, Beal composes, arranges, records and mixes his own music—often performing on trumpet, piano and other instruments—giving his scores a unique sound. Recent projects include four seasons of the Netflix series House of Cards, and documentaries Blackfish and Queen of Versailles. Jeff's been nominated for 15 Emmy awards and has won three statues. Past scores of note include the HBO series Rome and Carnivale and theatrical films Pollock and Appaloosa. 2015 commission performances include Light Falls for Brian Greene’s World Science Festival, Six Sixteen, a chamber work for guitarist Jason Vieaux, The Salvage Men, for the LA Master Chorale and Eric Whitacre Singers and new ballet music. Jeff is artistic advisor for The Beal Institute at the Eastman School of Music. www.jeffbeal.com JUSTIN HANRAHAN / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography Justin Hanrahan is an ACS award-­‐winning cinematographer who has been in the TV/Film industry since 1994 operating and working as a Director of Photography all over the world. Justin began his shooting career working in Hong Kong covering major international news and long-­‐format documentaries for nearly every major network and quickly moved into high-­‐end documentaries for clients such as BBC's Natural History Unit and National Geographic. In May 2011, Justin was awarded two Golden Tripods at the Australian National awards for two pieces of his work. In 2012 he was accredited by the Australian Cinematographer Society allowing him the honor of having the ACS letters after his name and has been honored with 12 ACS awards for his work in nearly every category. Justin worked with James Cameron on the Nat Geo adventure Deep Sea Challenge and recently wrapped on a Sam Neil feature documentary that has an AFI nomination for Best Cinematography, Oprah Winfrey’s TV event Belief due out in October, and The Champions a feature documentary about the pit-­‐bulls rescued from Michael Vick with Director Darcy Dennett’s Fireflyfilmworks. Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit CHRIS BRAVO / EDIT ASSISTANT & ADDITIONAL EDITING Edit Assistant & Additional Editing Chris Bravo (link: murallamediaworks.com) is a Brooklyn-­‐based documentary filmmaker and editor. He received an MFA in Film/Video/New Media from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. His work has been screened at numerous festivals, including the The People's Film Festival, the Oakland International Film Festival, the Berlin Director’s Lounge and the Allied Media Conference. His documentary work includes profiles of artists Brice Marden and Steve Reich, as well as short films about Rikers Island and Occupy Wall Street. His most recent project, Control, completed in 2014, (http://www.controldocumentary.com/) is about the impact of mass incarceration on communities and families. Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit THE CHAMPIONS
CREDITS
Directed & Produced By
Darcy Dennett
Executive Producers
Darcy Dennett
Elissa Jones
David Backes
Kelly Backes
Dana Edwards
Editor
Julio F. Lastres
Co-Producer
Lindsay Rothenberg
Director of Photography
Justin Hanrahan ACS
Music By Jeff Beal
The Dogs (*Listed in Order of Appearance)
Little Red
Sally
Jonny
Cherry
Handsome Dan
Slater
Mel
Featuring (*Listed in Relative Order of Appearance)
Susan Weidel
Prof. Rebecca J. Huss
Donna Reynolds & Tim Racer
Nicole Rattay
Steve Smith
Cris Cohen & Jennifer Long
Francis Battista
Michelle Weaver
John Garcia
Dr. Frank McMillan
Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Dr. Vicki Burton
Paul & Melissa Fiaccone
Ledy VanKavage, Esq.
Jamie & Mark Buehrle
Brooklyn & Braden Buehrle
Richard Hunter & Jennifer Jones
Heather Gutshall
Mark Stoutzenberger
Ryan Campbell Gutshall
Novellino Fiaccone
Josephine East Stoutzenberger
Tierney Sain
Taz Christensen
Paul Lindley
Executive in Charge of Production
Tanya Kateri
Post Producer
Julio F. Lastres
Additional Editing
Chris Bravo
Simeon Hutner
Researcher/Archive Producer
Lindsay Rothenberg
Assistant Editor
Chris Bravo
Andrew Hassell
Derek Jimenez
Additional Field Producer
Taimi Arvidson
Associate Producer
Norman So
Additional Cinematography
Pablo Durana
Bryan Harvey
Michael Hand
Omar Mullick
Guido Verweyen
Jason Watt
Peter Hutchens
Josh Fowler
Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Sound Recordists
Spence Palermo
Nejc Poberaj
Roy Marasigan
Octocopter Operator
Bryan Harvey
Octocopter Assistant
Tim Gould
Assistant Camera
Michael Hand
Tim Gould
Jon Sizemore
Production Stills
Darcy Dennett
Michael Hand
Elissa Jones
Lindsay Rothenberg
Hair & Makeup
Jennifer Jones
Title Design & Motion Graphics
Chris Bravo
Derek Jimenez
Jamie Lee Godfrey
Sekani Solomon
Technical Advisor
George Kralovansky
Online Editor & Colorist
Bjorn Bellenbaum
Sound Editor & Mixer
David Wilson
Production Assistants
Crissy Ludens Davies
Monica Sender
Matt Hamilton
Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Transcriber
Jim Davis
Intern
Ariana Tamar Lutterman
Music Composed, Produced & Conducted by Jeff Beal
Recorded at Many Rooms Music, Agoura CA
Special thanks to all of the musicians
“I’m An Animal”
Written by Neko Case and Paul Rigby.
Published by Nedotykomka, Inc. (ASCAP) and Paul Rigby (SOCAN)
All rights reserved.
Legal Services
Jake Levy
Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo, P.C.
Distribution Advisory services provided by Preferred Content
Marketing/Publicity services provided by PMK*BNC
Production Accountant
Jill K. Gordon
Accountant for Fireflyfilmworks
Robert Woloshen, CPA
Consultants
Jenny Raskin
Paul Whitworth
Advisor
James Mackey
Production Insurance
Dewitt Stern Group, Inc.
Special Thanks for Home Videos & Photos Provided by the Families
Stock Footage & Stills Provided Courtesy Of
National Geographic Creative
AP Archive
CNN
NBCUniversal Archives
WAVY TV
Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Prelinger Archives
Shutterstock
Kane County
KRON
Newsreel Archive/British Movietone
British Pathé
Additional Photos & Footage Courtesy of
The Best Friends Animal Society
Nicole Rattay & BADRAP
Richard Hunter
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®)
The Humane Society of the United States
Adopt-a-Pet.com
USDA Office of the Inspector General
Olga Maderych
Marthina McClay
Lisa Prince Fishler
Additional Footage Originally Appeared On
ABC 7
Adopt-a-Pet.com
The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin
BET
CBS
FOX
KTVI
The Little Rascals
Additional News Photographs Appeared In
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sun Times
Very Special Thanks to Paul J. Whitworth for advice & support throughout
Very Special Thanks
Best Friends Animal Society
Francis Battista
Elissa Jones
Gregory Castle
Julie Castle
Jake Levy
Donna & Tim Reynolds
BADRAP
Neko Case
Lucky 8 TV
Diane & Charles Dennett
Hybrid Films
Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Special Thanks
Daniele Anastasion
Sheerly Avni
Joseph Mehlman & Vera Amaral
Brenda Barnette
Alex Bennett
Lucy & Ella Bennett-Fleming
Becky Berman
Colby Bryan
Amy Bucher
Heidi Burke
Christopher Childers
Jim Sommers & Grace Church
Linda Chwistek & Bill Cook
Jeff Cohen
Dawn Danielson
Letti de Little
Bobby Dicks
Amy Egger
Daniel Elias
Heidi Ewing
Hank & Pamela Fiaccone
Stephanie Fitzsimmons
Keith Fleming
Rachel Flotard
Cliff Froehlich
George Garcia
Brian Garcia
Dr. Cystal Gil
Jocelyn Gill
Jim Gorant
Rachel Grady
Keith Grant
Lisa Gray
Delaine Hackney
Deborah Hamilton
Michael Hand
Tim Harkins
Christian Heintze
Greg Henry
Jennifer Hile
Isaac Holub
David Houts
Theodore James
Rachel Johnson
Whitney Jones
Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Jim Knorr
Marian Koltai-Levine
Ron Kopp
Nell Koring
George Kralovansky
Kelly Krause
Candy Lash
Charlie Lastres
Liz Leiter
Dov Lesel
Kristi Littrell
Ricky Lundell
Annie Macdonald
James Mackey
Traci Madson
Hector Martinez
Debra McCullagh
Dr. Melina Merck
Dena Mermelstein
Melissa Montero
Paul Montney
Abbie Moore
David Murdock
Ryan Murdock
Freida Orange
Dr. Patti Patterson
Andrew Paul
Dave Pearson
Marc Peralta
Kathleen Pierce
Liz Streitz & Tom Powel
Mike & Kathy Quattrone
Paul Rigby
Missy Samp
Erica Sashin
Erica Scharf
Kate Schnepel
Tess Sitzmann
B. George Seikaly
Jay Stenhouse
Judy Toohey
Stephanie Twining
Ledy VanKavage, Esq.
Cynthia Wade
Lindsay Washick
Kristen Wenning
Alexis Wheeler
Kimberly Woodard
Darcy Dennett’s THE CHAMPIONS / Press Kit Eddie Yarborough
Roo & Clara Yori
Special Thanks to the Following Organizations
The ASPCA
The Humane Society of the United States
The Family House
Valparaiso University
The City and County of San Francisco
The City of Los Angeles
Bishop Gorman High School
Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society
University of Wyoming
JR Lighting & Grip
VER: Video Equipment Rentals
Hampton Inn Springfield South Enfield
NYLO Providence Hotel
This Film Was Made Possible By the Generous Support of
David and Kelly Backes — Founders of Athletes for Animals
Dana Edwards
Mr. Bill Coaker
The Sidney E. Frank Foundation on behalf of Jennifer Finkelstein
Zions Bank
Wendy P. McCaw Foundation
For more information about BADRAP visit www.badrap.org
To help save pit-bull terriers and learn more about Best Friends Animal Society visit www.bestfriends.org
Dedicated to all dogs in need of a second chance.
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