Synopsis

Growing up, Sami Grisafe was one of the boys. Captain and first female quarterback of her Division 1 high school football team. Then, three-time champion and MVP quarterback of the Team USA. Winning came easy to Sami. Opening the field to a new generation of female players was a whole different ballgame.

An epic journey into the heart of professional women’s football, OPEN FIELD introduces the world to Sami and her hard-hitting teammates as they rack up championship after championship playing by NFL rules in NFL stadiums. Yet even at the top of their game, they hit obstacles no male NFL players have ever faced. Gender stereotypes. Lack of funding and sponsorships. No unified league. And no awareness or recognition in an otherwise football-obsessed nation.

OPEN FIELD also follows Sami’s friend and former teammate Katie Sowers, currently Assistant Coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the first woman to coach in a Super Bowl. Top coaches and players who are championing a more inclusive future for football also appear, including Kyle Shanahan, Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers; Franco Harris, the legendary Pittsburgh Steeler and Hall of Famer; and John Konecki, Head Coach of Team USA and the Chicago Force.

Meet these women of the gridiron, who carved out a path that didn’t exist and built a movement, of both women and men, who are reframing the conversation and rewriting the playbook to integrate women into the game of football. Their inspiring story will change the way you view professional football and how you define a champion.

KATHY KURAS, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER

Kathy Kuras is co-founder and executive producer with Vanguard Muse, an independent music and film company. Kathy led the development of the first video production department for the national office of the YMCA, producing stories of transformational moments in the lives of people and communities. Vanguard Muse received 6 Grammy pre-nominations for their first album, ATLANTIS, and music video selection for “Brand New Fairytale” at CIMMfest Chicago, International Film Festival North Hollywood, and Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival. OPEN FIELD is her first feature documentary film.

Sami Grisafe

JOHN ALEXANDER, EDITOR AND CO-PRODUCER

After interning with Sam Raimi on Drag Me to Hell (Cannes 2009), John graduated from Harvard in 2011, where he won the McCord Arts Prize. He edited One Way to Drown (executive produced by Brett Ratner), Running Wild (starring Alden Ehrenreich), and coordinated post-production for Shut Up and Drive (Tribeca 2015). His directorial feature debut, Bender (2016), cult thriller about America’s first serial killing family, won a Golden Strands award for Outstanding Cast, and John directed short thriller Suspect (2017) as a guest director at the American Film Institute. His debut documentary This Is Love (2018) has screened at 40 film festivals worldwide and won top prizes at over a dozen, including the Spirit Award at Raindance in London and Best International Documentary in Rome. John’s commercial and industrial resume includes work for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics with Kate Upton, Topshop / Zalando with Cara Delevigne, and Biohaven Pharmaceuticals. His company Crook & Nanny Productions is currently in production on Little Satchmo, upcoming feature documentary on Louis Armstrong’s secret daughter, and in development on an upcoming feminist revenge horror feature with Casadelic Pictures.

LYNDSAY HAILEY, STORY EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Lyndsay Hailey is a comedian, actor, writer/director, teacher of improv and sketch comedy, and professional speaker. She’s been making people laugh professionally since 2005. An alumna of the Second City National Touring Co., Lyndsay is the creator and star of critically acclaimed shows including 30% Chance of Hailey and Shaman Noodles. Lyndsay has taught all over the world, including the UK, Canada, France, Australia, Belgium, Austria, Sweden and Poland; and in Chicago and Los Angeles at the Second City, iO and iO West. She is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor and the creator of a new methodology called Presence Practice, combines improv and breath-work to help students remove blocks and awaken to their highest potential. She was awarded Best Host by Vegas Seven magazine for her role as the Female Emcee of Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas, a show she co-wrote with director Channing Tatum.

AVI ZARUM, CINEMATOGRAPHER

Avi Zarum launched his own production company, Zarumedia, in 2007, following roles as Creative Director with Gravida Consulting Inc., and owner and founder of Fuel Commercials. Avi has deep experience in the sports genre having produced video and graphic design content with Canadian Olympic champions including Tessa Virtue, Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes and as Supervising Producer with LFL Films Canada, overseeing the development and evolution of the LFL Films brand in globally-distributed promotional materials, including commercials, multimedia and broadcast content. He has also worked commercially with corporate clients such as Coca-Cola, Telus, Guess and Target. In 2017, Avi received a PROMAX BDA Silver award and nomination for the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards for a Comcast Sportsnet entitled ‘What an April’.

The Facts

Kathy Kuras
John Alexander
Lyndsay Hailey
Avi Zarum
Director, Producer
Editor, Producer
Story Editor
Cinematographer

Featuring:

Sami Grisafe
Katie Sowers
Franco Harris
and the San Francisco 49ers

Genre: Sports Documentary
Run time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Shot on location over the course of 5 years with full access to practice sessions, games, private team conversations in locker room and off the field activites, including three world championships with Team USA (held in Sweden, Finland, Canada).

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Contact Us

For more information
kathy@vanguardmuse.com