Saucony in collaboration with Runner’s World presented a private screening of Finding Strong, a film directed by Brian Vernor, at The Collective during Sundance in Park City, Utah on Jan. 19. In its sixth year, The Collective, held concurrently with the Sundance Film Festival, is an invitation-only conference of leaders in entrepreneurship, film, music, business, technology, philanthropy and other creative endeavors. The evening screening and reception will feature an art sale composed of cinematic stills curated from the Finding Strong documentary, with all proceeds to benefit the Djibouti-based Girls Run 2 Club, one of the subjects of Vernor’s film.
“This film brings our brand mission−to empower the human spirit through running−clearly to life in a compelling and beautiful way,” said Chris Lindner, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of commerce for Saucony. “The Collective platform, with its community of social entrepreneurs and changemakers, is an amazing opportunity to celebrate both the power of the human spirit and the positive social impact a community can make.”
Finding Strong takes viewers on a global journey to spotlight how the simple act of running can create and empower communities. Spanning multiple continents, Finding Strong gracefully depicts the transformative power of running. The 22-minute documentary explores fascinating runners around the world, including elite National Guardsmen in Japan, a youth running community in Brazil, goat-herding girls in Djibouti and physically challenged athletes in New York City. Thematically, Finding Strong reveals that running isn’t just about personal records, but rather a global community event that can inspire and transform lives. Click here to watch the trailer.
A post-screening panel discussion exploring the theme of community transformation will be moderated by Saucony’s Chris Lindner and David Willey, editor-in-chief of Runner’s World.
The panelists include:
· Brian Vernor: Director of Finding Strong; California-based photographer, filmmaker and adventure cyclist
· Sharon Barbano: Executive director of the Saucony Run4Good Foundation, established to help combat childhood obesity through running; Vice President of Public Relations for Saucony
· Ben Simmons: Triathlon USA 2010 Paraduathlete of the Year; Member of the Achilles Track Club, a non-profit organization that provides a community of support to athletes with disabilities
The Finding Strong screening and panel will be followed by a reception hosted by Saucony, Runner’s World and The Collective, and will feature a DJ performance by Eric Sharp.
Finding Strong originally premiered at the New York City Marathon on November 2nd, followed by a screening at The Running Event in December 2013.
