Hockeyland a 2022 American documentary film directed by Tommy Haines and produced by Northland Films,[1] immerses audiences deep in the heart of Minnesota's North Country, where hockey is just as central to life as football was to the fictional town of Dillon, Texas, and the frozen surface that separates every teenage boy from the man they hope to become one day is criss-crossed with red and blue lines.[2] The film opened theatrically as the #1 documentary in the country for the week of September 9 and was a 2022 Critics Choice nominee for "Best Sports Documentary".[3]
| Hockeyland | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Tommy Haines |
| Produced by | Tommy Haines, JT Haines, Andrew Sherburne |
| Starring | Blake Biondi, Elliot Van Orsdel, Indio Dowd, Will Troutwine |
| Cinematography | Benjamin Handler |
| Music by | Will Blair, Brooke Blair |
Production company | Northland Films |
| Distributed by | Greenwich Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Synopsis
editMinnesota is the heartland of US hockey, creating more skaters-on the local rinks and in the NHL-than any other state. Here, the senior boys of rival towns-one an emerging dynasty, the other with a fabled past-face down uncertain futures as they skate for a last chance to etch their names into local lore. Where Texas football has Friday Night Lights, Minnesota high school hockey has Hockeyland.
Reception
editDavid Ehrlich, IndieWire's Chief Film Critic, calls the film "raw and brutally absorbing...and as fresh as a newly Zamboni-ed sheet of ice."[4] ESPN's Greg Wyshinski describes the film as "a fascinating look at Minnesota High School Hockey."[5] Alex Mitchell of the New York Post expounds the film "captures a way of life like no other"[6] Bruce Miller, film critic for the Sioux City Journal, praises the film as "one of those documentaries that sets the bar for others." MSP Magazine writer Steve Marsh says "Hockeyland transcends its genre: this is more than a hockey movie, this is drama."[7]
Box office
editDirstributed by Greenwich Entertainment, the film opened as the #1 documentary for the week of September 9th, 2022.[8]
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critics' Choice Documentary Awards | November 13, 2022 | Best Sports Documentary | Hockeyland | Nominated | [9] |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | November 21, 2021 | The Joe Williams Documentary Feature Award | Hockeyland | Nominated | [10] |
Festivals
editWorld Premiere - DocNYC (November 2021)[11]
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (February, 2022)[12]
Seattle International Film Festival (April, 2022)[13]
St. Louis International Film Festival
Milwaukee International Film Festival (May, 2022)[14]
RiverRun International Film Festival (May, 2022)[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Ramachandran, Naaman (1 August 2022). "High School Hockey Rivalry Documentary 'Hockeyland' Acquired by Greenwich Entertainment, First Trailer Released". variety.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ Erhlich, David (November 8, 2021). "DOC NYC 2021: 12 Must-See Films at America's Biggest Documentary Festival". Indiewire.
- ^ "Nominations Unveiled For The Seventh Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards". Critics Choice. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
- ^ Erhlich, David (November 8, 2021). "DOC NYC 2021: 12 Must-See Films at America's Biggest Documentary Festival". Indiewire.
- ^ Wyshinksi, Greg (September 14, 2022). "Inside the making of 'Hockeyland,' bringing Minnesota high school hockey to the big screen". ESPN.
- ^ Mitchell, Alex (October 17, 2022). "'Hockeyland' captures high-stakes world of Minnesota high-school hockey: 'It's bonkers'". New York Post.
- ^ Marsh, Steve (November 21, 2022). "Coming of Age in Hockeyland". MSP Magazine.
- ^ "'After Ever Happy' & Faith-Based 'Lifemark' Fire Up Fathom Events – Specialty Box Office". Deadline. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (October 17, 2022). "'Fire of Love' and 'Good Night Oppy' Lead Critics Choice Documentary Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "2021 StLFCA Jury Award Winners at the St. Louis International Film Festival".
- ^ https://www.docnyc.net/film/hockeyland/
- ^ https://bsdff22.eventive.org/schedule/61f0ad303cea51007f856f64
- ^ https://www.siff.net/documents/Festival/2022_FESTIVAL/FEST22_Program_PDF.pdf
- ^ https://mkefilm.org/events/hockeyland
- ^ https://www.yesweekly.com/film/riverrun-announces-2022-film-lineup/article_df61b01e-b5bf-11ec-ac9a-d3cddbcbf536.html