K+S New York 2014 comes to a close...Thank you!

Wow. That's just about all we can say. WOW!

The 6th annual Kicking + Screening Soccer Film Festival, presented by Budweiser, came to a close on Friday night with one helluva bang. The films -- Match for Peace, Geronimo's Promise, and El Otro SuperClasico -- took fans on a celluloid trip to Brazil. And then the afterparty, hosted by Howler Magazine and featuring live music from the incredible Underground Horns, brought us to the final whistle in fine samba-groovin' style.

Along the way, it was an amazing adventure of soccer and culture. A few highlights that stick out to us:

  • the opening-night panel about soccer and national identity with Gabe Spitzer, Grant Wahl, and Zohair Ghenania
  • the incredible cliffhanger we were left with at the end of the We Must Go sneak peek; can't wait for the final film!
  • that amazing moment on Night 2 when the NYC soccer families came together as Robin Fraser from the New York Red Bulls and Giovanni Savarese from the New York Cosmos talked about coaching
  • the inspiring stories told by Nico Calabria, a US Amputee World Cup player and star of the mini-doc Nico, on Night 3
  • on the same night, a surprise visit from former US national team coach Steve Sampson, who ran into former US World Cup star Alexi Lalas for the first time in years
  • the dancing -- and more dancing -- to the fantastic grooves set down by the Underground Horns on closing night

Before signing off from NYC, we would like to thank Budweiser for their support and efforts to make K+S something bigger and better than it was.

Thanks also to all the filmmakers, particularly those who came to participate in our festival with us: Scott Boggins and Gabe Spitzer (One Nation & Match for Peace), Birgit Ehret (The 1905ers), Luiz Menegaz (Geronimo's Promise), Santiago Dulce (El Otro SuperClasico), Chad Walker & Dave LaMattina (We Must Go).

Most importantly, though, thanks to you, the incredible community of #SoccerInNYC that comes out and supports K+S every year.

See you in Copenhagen, June 1-4!

"Scouting for Zebras" wins Golden Whistle Award at K+S Soccer Film Festival NY 2014, pres. by Budweiser

Sometimes a film comes to us and we are at a loss to predict what the reaction will be from K+S festival attendees. Benoit Mariage's film Scouting for Zebras was one such entry.

A powerful, darkly comedic take on the shady side of trafficking in young African talent, Zebras starredBenoit Poelvoorde, a relative unknown in North America, and the film didn't attract much attention among our New York fans before the festival. A Belgian film about an aging agent and his trip to the Ivory Coast? Didn't sound like a winner to American audiences.

But even so, the screening sold out. And after, it was the talk of the festival. It is impossible not to admire Zebras' ambition and its power to reveal the ugliness of global soccer even while putting a human touch on it all.

For those reasons, Scouting for Zebras was named the 2014 winner of the Golden Whistle Award at the 6th annual Kicking + Screening Soccer Film Festival, presented by Budweiser. Awarded annually to the festival's best film, the Golden Whistle as determined by the K+S film jury.