The Sporting L Word

Abby Wambach, the soccer phenom, has maintained an astonishing level of success, from helping the Florida Gators win their first and only national championship, to collecting a Founders Cup title with the WUSA's Washington Freedom and earning two Olympic gold medals.

Rich archive and emotional interviews are at the core of this telling of the turbulent life of British footballer Justin Fashanu. His coming out in an age of widespread homophobia not only damaged his football career, but led to the demise of his relationship with the brother with whom he shared a painful early history and a lifelong rivalry.

In both amateur and professional sports, being gay remains taboo. Few dare to come out of the closet for fear of being stigmatized, and for many, the pressure to perform is compounded by a further strain: whether or not to affirm their sexual identity. Standing on the Line takes a fresh and often moving look at some of our gay athletes, who share their experiences with the camera. They’ve set out to overcome prejudice in the hopes of changing things for the athletes of tomorrow.

A release that features 7 shorts from Italy, Israel, Tunisia, New Zealand, the United States and France, exploring those furtive first steps that men take as they decide to act on their sexuality. The 7 short films are: The First Time [La prima volta] (2012); Kiss Me (2022); Nidhal [نضال] (2022); Sparrow (2016); I Am Mackenzie (2019); The Place Between Us [Il posto fra di noi] (2010); By the End of the Night [Que la nuit s'achève] (2018).

The deeply personal story of elite Welsh trans cyclist Emily Bridges as she fights to represent her country in the female category for the first time at the Commonwealth Games.

From adoption and homelessness to navigating relationships and overcoming self-harm, the four transmen in MAN MADE all have something else in common: they are all bodybuilders. Through the lens of FTMFitCon, the world’s only FTM bodybuilding competition, we delve into the lives of Dominic, Rese, Mason, and Kennie as they define what it means to be a man while contextualizing that definition through the social, racial, and economic realities of their lives. For the men of MAN MADE, it’s not about winning—it’s about stepping on stage and being seen for everything they are.

This inspirational documentary follows a number of LGBTQ athletes, including Robbie Rogers (Major League Soccer), Layana White (NCAA basketball player), Gus Kenworthy (freestyle skier and Olympic silver medalist), Megan Rapinoe (soccer, Olympic gold medalist), and Trevor Betts, a trans high school athlete, charting their social and legal challenges within the schools, sports leagues, and within their own families, as well as their triumphs in the face of great adversity.

In the world of 1970s car racing, Hurley Haywood was cool, calm and collected. A five-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner, three-time Le Mans winner and Trans-Am champion, Haywood was a Hollywood archetype: a strikingly handsome man brought up by a good Midwestern family. Yet Haywood was often overshadowed by racing partner and volatile mentor, Peter Gregg—the Batman to his Robin—whose abrupt suicide in 1980 shook the sport to its core. And yet Haywood had secrets of his own. Despite multiple encounters with women, some that included public appearances alongside Penthouse models, he remained elusive about his personal life. With deft use of archival footage and exclusive interviews featuring actor and fellow racer, Patrick Dempsey, Hurley reveals a greater insight into Haywood’s tightrope walk between career and sexuality, while posing the question—will motorsport ever be ready for openly LGBT racers?

This is Mike Parrow's Journey so far in life. He is a independent professional wrestler who struggled with his sexuality most of his adult life. After meeting the love of his life, Morgan, he revealed to his friends and family that he was gay. In this short documentary Mike talks about becoming a wrestler, finding a home in Orlando, the tragedy of Pulse Nightclub, and being a role model for other athletes struggling with their sexuality. The goal with this project is to highlight other athletes in the LGBTQ community.

Serginho was one of the founding members of the historic Coligay fan club, the first fan club formed exclusively by homosexuals in the history of Brazilian soccer. Here, he tells a bit about his story and also about his relationship with Magia, one of the most recent seven-a-side soccer clubs in Brazil, formed only by homosexuals, who compete in championships and tournaments exclusively for LGBT's with the goal of bringing together a space of respect and welcoming amidst the still sexist and prejudiced scenario in soccer.

From a celebrated hoops prodigy to a self-reliant professional basketball star, from Baylor to the WNBA and overseas, Brittney Griner had a wild ride last year. Her trip ended in China, where she drew oohs and aahs from fascinated crowds ... and learned a little something about herself along the way.