Footballer Michael Essien, founder of the Michael Essien Foundation, is the
latest star to put his name behind Rollaball.
This documentary-in-progress tells the inspiring story of The Rolling
Rockets, a team of Ghanaian polio survivors who are pioneering an extreme
sport combination of skating and soccer.
Rollaball is currently crowdsourcing production funding via a 30-day
campaign on Kickstarter, the world¹s largest funding platform for creative
projects.
³Skate soccer is one of the most inspiring forms of the beautiful game I've
seen and shows how the sport can be adapted and enjoyed by anyone,² says
Michael, the Ghana Black Stars international who recently moved to Real
Madrid on loan from Chelsea. ³These athletes' determination, strength and
creativity is inspiring and makes me proud to be Ghanaian. I hope the
Rollaball documentary will give them the exposure they deserve and I look
forward to seeing Ghana host an African Cup of Nations for skate soccer in
the near future.''
Michael¹s endorsement follows similar shows of support from the likes of AC
Milan midfielder and Ghanaian Black Stars international Sulley Muntari;
paralympian Anne Wafula Strike; World Cup Skateboarding; and Australia¹s
National Skateboarders Association.
"Michael¹s endorsement is an inspiration for the entire team and makes us
even more determined to host the first Skate Soccer Cup of Nations in Ghana
next year," says Albert K. Frimpong, coach of The Rolling Rockets and
executive director of SYDOGhana (Sports and Youth Development Organisation).
Big World Cinema¹s Steven Markovitz is producing the documentary, which won
the Puma.Creative Catalyst Award in partnership with BRITDOC and has already
been featured as a Kickstarter Staff Pick and on the curated Kickstarter
pages of both Good Pitch and Okayafrica.
Steven co-founded Encounters, Africa¹s most prestigious documentary
festival; co-produced MTV¹s Best African Movie 2010, Viva Riva!; and is
producing the upcoming Jambula Tree, winner of the Arte Prize for Best
Feature Film Project at Durban International Film Festival 2012.
Rollaball is being directed by Eddie Edwards, who also helmed the
award-winning sports documentary The Fight, about South African boxing
champion Andile Tshongolo.
To help make the completed documentary possible, visit
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rollaballmovie/rollaball-skate-soccer
. Pledges start from as little as $10.
As part of his endorsement, Michael has donated five autographed 10x12inch
photographs of him taken after his Champions League victory. This reward is
exclusive to the first five people to pledge $600, who will also receive
Batik cloth wrap from Ghana; a box set of four DVDs from Africa; special
thanks on the film end credits; and a digital download of the completed
film, among other perks.
The Kickstarter campaign ends on 22 September 2012. Eddie says, ³If the full
target of $35 000 isn¹t raised, Kickstarter will not charge any of the
contributors, meaning that we won¹t receive any of the funding needed to
complete production, so please help us spread the word. Thank you for your
support; we can¹t do this without you.²
Watch the promo video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN4Y4RHMtAE
www.rollaballmovie.com.
More endorsements:
³Sport is such an important part of life for everyone, keeping them healthy
and bringing people together no matter what age, sex, ability or disability.
Rollaball, about an inspiring team of Ghanaian polio survivors who are
pioneering an extreme sport combination of skating and soccer, is a really
inspirational story showing how courage and determination prevail. I always
wanted to be a footballer and never let anything stand in my way, so I have
the greatest admiration and respect for these guys playing sport with more
barriers to success than most. This film also plays a vital role in
highlighting the massive challenges that people suffering from polio face,
especially in Ghana where it is still stigmatized and many have to resort to
begging and living on the streets to survive. I wish the best of luck to
everyone behind the film, particularly the inspiring individuals who have
shared their story with the world.²
Sulley Muntari, AC Milan midfielder & Ghanaian Black Stars international
³Rollaball is an inspirational film that shows that no matter how hard life
may be, sport can be liberating. It's heartbreaking to see what these men
have to do to survive on a daily basis - dodging in between busy traffic to
beg for money to hold body and soul together. But when Sunday comes all is
forgotten in the thrill of playing skate soccer, a game that makes them feel
totally alive. Their ingenuity in adapting equipment makes for a fast and
furious game on the streets. It's exciting to watch and it really deserves a
far wider audience. And who knows, it could one day be a sport to inspire
persons with disability all over the world, and take its place alongside
wheel rugby and basketball. For it¹s not where these men live but how they
live that will cause us to put life into perspective."
Anne Wafula Strike, Paralympic wheelchair racer, author and polio survivor
Regards
Kevin Kriedemann
+27 83 556 2346
