Five Time Champion (2011/2012)

While 14-year-old science star Julius (Ryan Akin) steadfastly researches the asexual reproduction of worms, his eccentric family members are pulling apart from each other in ways that he can only attribute to sex. His grandfather is visiting a woman other than his grandmother, and his mother is estranged from her prospective fiancee, who is also Julius' assistant principal. On top of that, he's losing his best friend Shiley to a hunky classmate, all while he wrestles with his dad's mysterious departure years ago.

Julius keeps a diligent eye, but unfortunately, all of his heartbreakingly acute observation seems to prove that no solution will restore the people he cares about to their appropriate roles. How can he hold together his family, or build his own romantic relationships under the shadow of rumors about his father's homosexuality? Only when Julius allows people, including himself, to fall short of his scientist's expectations of order and reason can wounds begin to heal.

FIVE TIME CHAMPION features an inspired ensemble of talent, including Tony award winner Betty Buckley ("CATS"), Dana Wheeler Nicholson ("FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS"), Jon Gries (NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) and Robert Longstreet (TAKE SHELTER), with music by composer Graham Reynolds (A SCANNER DARKLY).

Quotes about the Film

"Although the movie has some big names, none shines as bright as young Ryan Akin, who... captures the angst and confusion of teens everywhere as he fumbles through his first attempts at sex, as he suffers through jealousies, as he begins to question the wisdom of the choices that adults make."

-- Charles Ealy, THE AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN

"An exceptional movie in every way! Much of the credit goes to Mader's tightly written script. When it's funny, it's uproariously so... When the script is poignant, it studiously avoids being cloying; there are many quietly reflective scenes that engender great sympathy for the characters without movie-of-the-week melodrama."

-- Don Clinchy, SLACKERWOOD

Filmmaker Bios

Berndt Mader (Director)

Berndt Mader is a director and writer living in Austin, Texas. He has written and directed films that have screened at festivals around the globe. His film A NEUTRAL DENSITY won Best Screenplay at the 2005 Cinematexas Film Festival, and was honored with a screening at the Director's Guild of America Theater in Burbank. His most recent film, ROAD TO TLACOTEPEC, won the Audience Award at the 2008 Austin Film Festival. Mader holds an MFA degree in filmmaking from the University of Texas at Austin and is co-owner of the Austin-based production company The Bear Media. FIVE TIME CHAMPION is Mader's first feature film to write and direct.

Ezra Venetos (Producer)

Ezra Venetos, the founder of Shark Films, grew up in New York City then earned a degree in Film production at Texas Christian University. Before starting his company in 2005, he has worked on over thirty feature films--his roles ranging from Production Assistant to Key Grip to Producer. He has produced "The Wake" (Best short film at the 2007 Chicago Horror Film Festival and an official selection at the Hollywood Film Festival), "Dan & a Van" (Cinequest Film Festival Premier, Silver Lei for Excellence in Filmmaking from the 2009 Honolulu Int'l Film Festival, and Best Short film at the Beverly Hills Film Festival). Shark Films was founded on a methodology of "innovative producing" and is interested in making films that exhibit a professional, theatrical quality within budget. Producing something great at a small expense requires a director with a clear vision and a great script.

Trailer

Five Time Champion Stills

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