THE LAST WHISTLE Selected to open 2018 Lone Star Film Festival
The football drama will bring Brad Leland back to the big screen, this time as head coach.
THE LAST WHISTLE tells the story of an all-star player on the local high school football team who collapses during practice. All eyes turn to the storied head coach (Friday Night Lights' BRAD LELAND) who, instead of mollifying the situation, tries to maintain the team's winning streak. The town turns against him, leading to a lawsuit from the player's mother.
THE LAST WHISTLE is the feature debut for Rob Smat, a 23 year-old prodigy of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. He chose to shoot this film in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, due to a wealth of resources he knew he could access there. In a world where sports movies cost a minimum of $2 million to produce, Rob and his producing team MIKE DOWNING, THOMAS KUTZLER, and H. MAX GONZALEZ managed to make this film on a six digit budget. The producers hope that everyone who told them this film was impossible will enjoy it when it debuts.
The film stars a diverse cast of notable film and TV faces, including Brad Leland (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, DEEPWATER HORIZON), Jim O'Heir (PARKS AND RECREATION), Emmy winner Eric Nelsen (ERASE, THE AFFAIR), Sainty Nelsen (Netflix’s TROLLS, Amazon's THE BAY), Emmy winner Kristos Andrews (THE BAY), Fred Tolliver Jr. (Spike Lee’s RED HOOK SUMMER, TV's SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT), Tyler Perez (CBS’s CODE BLACK), and a standout debut performance from Deanne Lauvin.
The film also features BCS Championship winning coach LES MILES in a supporting role. This is Mr. Miles's second major role in a feature film, and his first to be released to the public.
The film concerns a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. This condition, and others like it, kill an average of one young athlete every three days in the United States alone. Calamity from this condition is preventable with early detection and heart instruments. Our production hopes to provide awareness and resources to anyone who wants to have their family members tested for the disease.
The film is executive produced by Emmy winning producers Eric Nelsen and Sainty Nelsen, in conjunction with Jim Goldner, Kody Klement, and Rusty Reid, as well as being co-produced by THE BAY’s multiple Emmy Award-winner Gregori J. Martin of LANY Entertainment.
After the film’s premiere this November, producers are hoping to do a limited theatrical release, followed by a nationwide release on Video On Demand platforms in the weeks following. Acquisition rights are still available.
