Writer, Director, and Producer

MARY MAZZIO

In all of her films, Mary Mazzio (an Olympian and recovering lawyer), explores the concept of overcoming obstacles, whether it is a fight for social change (A Hero for DaisyI Am Jane Doe), or issues of poverty and lack of opportunity (Ten9Eight, The Apple Pushers, Underwater Dreams). Her mission of shedding light on compelling narratives of social significance has made her one of the country’s most prominent filmmakers. The impact of her work is deep and profound.  For her film Underwater Dreams, Mazzio collaborated with the White House and raised more than $100 million dollars in public and private partnerships for underserved students. Her last film, I Am Jane Doe, elevated the voices of young sex trafficking survivors, catalyzing bipartisan federal legislation signed by the President in 2018. All of Mazzio’s films are about ordinary people doing extraordinary things – defying expectations and challenging assumptions of who and what they can achieve.

Narrator and Executive PRODUCER

Common

Chicago born and raised, Common received his first Grammy award in 2003 for Best R&B Song. Since, he has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, including Erykah Badu, John Legend, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, and Lauryn Hill. Common has been recognized not only for his music, for which he has earned an Academy Award and numerous Grammy awards, but also his acting which won him an NAACP Image Award. In 2012, Common founded Freedom Road Productions where he sits as an Executive Producer on The Chi, a show which aims to depict the true lives of Chicago residents. Common is also the founder of Common Ground Foundation, a non-profit serving Chicago youth from the South and West Sides.

Executive PRODUCER

Grant Hill

A seven-time NBA All-Star and recent Hall of Fame inductee, Grant Hill is a household name across the country. Now retired from basketball, Grant is an owner of the Atlanta Hawks. He continues to excel off the court – from sports broadcasting, to real estate, to founding a private equity mezzanine fund. A true believer in community, his contributions to charity work, academic scholarships, and national initiatives for healthier lifestyles demonstrate Grant’s heart. While all his charitable work inspires, Grant’s lifelong love of art has become his most benevolent endeavor.

Executive PRODUCER

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade, one of the Miami Heat’s most celebrated players, is an Olympic medalist, dedicated father, thirteen-time NBA All-Star, Sports Commentator, and well-known philanthropist. On the court, he is recognized for his leadership, making history with Miami’s first NBA Championship and delivering a gold medal for the men’s basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Off the court, Dwyane is known for supporting several philanthropic organizations. In 2003, he founded the Wade Family Foundation, a community-based organization that promotes education, health, and social skills for children in at-risk situations and in 2016 he launched his Spotlight On initiative which seeks to highlight youth who are actively working to inspire change. He hosts a variety of community outreach programs in Chicago and South Florida.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

9TH WONDER

Patrick Douthit, known professionally as 9th Wonder, is a Grammy Award-winning producer who has worked with Mary J. Blige, Drake, Destiny’s Child, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay-Z, among many others. The focus of two documentary-films, 9th Wonder has long been acknowledged for his cultural impact on hip-hop. A few of his contributions include serving on the executive committee of Hip-Hop and Rap at the Smithsonian, acting as the NAACP’s National Ambassador for Hip Hop Relations and Popular Culture, and working as a W.E.B. Dubois Fellow at Harvard University. In addition to his work in the music industry, 9th Wonder is a prominent figure in academia and currently works on faculty at both North Carolina Central University and Duke University. Jamla Records is 9th Wonder’s independent label.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Bill Hudson 

John H. Carlson  

Bill McNabb and Katie McNabb 

Ginny Gilder and Lynn Slaughter 

Derek Dudley

Bryan White and Christine White 

Bruce Herring and Tricia Herring 

Ted Dintersmith 

Cameron Winklevoss 

Tyler Winklevoss 

Doris Casap  

Ashley Bekton 

Chaz Ebert 

Rick Lane 

WITH FURTHER SUPPORT FROM

 official apparel and footwear partner

LAURIE TISCH AND THE LAURIE M. TISCH ILLUMINATION FUND

LINDA CABOT AND THE ANGEL FOUNDATION

SUE WAGNER

Nicole Stata

WILLIAM WALTON

JOHN CHATZKY

featuring

ARSHAY COOPER

ALVIN ROSS

PRESTON GRANDBERRY

MALCOLM HAWKINS

RAY “POOKIE G” HAWKINS

TAVARES “POOH” GOODMAN

ELLIOTT MOORE

ARTHUR WHITE

TERRY MEEKS

LINDA MEDLEY

BLANCHIE HAWKINS

MECHELL GRANDBERRY

ANGIE ROSS

FRANCES HAWKINS

ISAAC COOPER

SHAUNDELL COOPER

KEN ALPART

ARNE DUNCAN

CRAIG NASH

DR. KERRY RESSLER

ROSEANNA ANDER

DR. DEBORAH GORMAN-SMITH

DR. KATHERINE FLANAGAN

MIKE TETI

DAVID BANKS

ANITA DEFRANTZ

URIAH HALL

MIKE CARROLL

TIM FITZPATRICK

LOUIS GREEN

MATT ROBEN

JAMES OBALDO

JOHN DAY

JENNIFER BONJEAN

TRISH BRUBAKER

MARC MANDEL

TIM FIELD

VICTOR FINLEY-BROWN

AMANDA RAMDEHOLL

KEVIN GRIFFITH

EDITORS

ANDREW ELDRIDGE

TOM COLE

MARY MAZZIO

hip-hop producer

9TH WONDER

orchestral composer

Alex Lasarenko  

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

JOE GRASSO

AERIAL DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

AARON GRASSO

 

Production Crew

STORY EDITORS ALEC SOKOLOW
BOB FITZGERALD
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY RICHARD SCHULTZ
ANDY ANDERSON
CLAYTON HAUCK
ADDITIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHY AARON GRASSO
DAN FISCHER
JUSTIN HAYWARD
MARY MAZZIO
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER ANDREW SANDERSON
PRODUCTION COORDINATORS MICHELLE TOCASH HUGHES
LES MILNE
BRANDON SUQUET
DAMIAN HUCK
ASSISTANT CAMERAPERSONS KEITH JONES
WILLIAM DAUEL
MELISSA DABBACK
DAVE JUNE
KC CAPEK
CHAD MATTHEWS
DATA MANAGEMENT MIKE PAVISLAN
CHASE PARSONS
ADAM MCDONALD
SOUND RECORDISTS NAJI AL-AWAR
LOU WISKES
RICH MACH
CARLOS MAEDA
GAFFERS TJ CLOUNIE
MARC ANDERSON
ZACHARY KIND 
JOHN ALDRICH
ASST. DIRECTOR RUSS GENTRY
KEY GRIPS MIKE CHO
JAY COAKLEY
JOZEF JOZEFOWSKI
SECOND ASSIST. CAMERAPERSONS ABRAM GALVIN
CHASE PARSONS
SWING/DRIVER PATRICK WALSH
HAI NGUYEN
MELISSA REVELS
HAIR AND MAKEUP PAULINE BARRY
NORA HESS
KAREN KOENIG
DRENNAN LUCIA
CRAFT SERVICES ANNA DELOREFICE 
MICHELE KITAGAWA
JOSEPH GIOVANETTI
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS ANA PEREZ-TERNENT
KELLY BRIGHT
FRANCIS DEWEY
JULIANNE MASON
ELLA WAHLESTEDT
JARRETT MOORE
HILLARY ANDREWS
MCKENNA MORRIS
NATALIE NOVAK
GABRIELLE ALIAS
EMILY PAIGE
JANE WILLIAMS
KENDALL BREWER
DANNY ALVARADO
MATT BETTE
MARLON BRACAMONTE
WILL CAMPISANO
CHRIS FORSTON
JASMINE GARCIA
MARC INDELICATO
PRATT MAJMUDAR
BIANCA MOON
AUBREY MURRAY
MIKE PLUCHINO
RICH REYNOLDS
JOEY SANTORE
SABRINA THOMPSON
LOUIS TOGNA
EDGAR VEGA
ANTHONY WILLIAMS
ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR LEAH C. ABRAMS

Post Production

COLORIST ROB BESSETTE
TRAILER EDITOR TOM COLE
SOUND DESIGN/RE-RECORDING MIXER GREG MCCLEARY
MUSIC MIX/MASTERING – ORCHESTRAL DAVID LITTLE
DESIGNER/ART DIRECTOR MICHAEL FREDERICK
ANIMATION ARTIST DONALD DAYS
ADDITIONAL EDITORIAL GILLE KLABIN
CHRIS HORNE
STORY EDITOR – TRAILER DAVID BERNSTEIN
POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR NOREEN MOROSS
ASSISTANT EDITOR LIA GRIFFIN
NARRATION ENGINEER CAMERON PERRY
MICHAEL MOSS
ORCHESTRAL LIVE RECORDING TYLER SUMMERS – THE RED ROOM
HIP-HOP LIVE RECORDING JAMLA RECORDS/BRIGHT LADY STUDIOS
ONLINE/EDITORIAL FACILITY ANOTHER AGE PRODUCTIONS
SOUND MIX FACILITY HEART PUNCH STUDIO
MUSIC FACILITY TONAL
NARRATION FACILITY THE CUTTING ROOM
STRATEGY/PUBLICITY BETSY SHERMAN
TERI KANE
MEREDITH GEISLER
RICK LANE
LEGAL SERVICES PAUL HARTNETT, ESQ.
DENNIS ANGEL, ESQ.
INSURANCE SERVICES TAYLOR & TAYLOR
MUSIC CLEARANCES JEANNE FAY
ACCOUNTING SERVICES GARY MCDONOUGH
SUE GOETZ
TRANSCRIPTIONS MULBERRY STUDIO

SPECIAL THANKS

DALILA WILSON-SCOTT AND MIKE CAVANAGH

RICK LUFTGLASS

BETH KURTESON

DEREK DUDLEY, JILL REMIS, ISIS SAMAYOA,

SHELBY STONE, MELISSA RESCH, AND CHRISTNA LETANG

JT CRANDALL

KASH NORVILLE, TIA WATLINGTON, AND JAMLA RECORDS

JANET HILL

TOM YOUNG AND LISA JOSEPH-METELUS

ALEX SCHEG, MAYA NELSON, AND SAVANNAH JAMES

GREG LUCKMAN, WILL BLAIR, MIKE SHEEHAN, SEAN BARROR, AND ALLIED SPORTS

INECEA SINGLETON

STEPHANIE CABOT

NIKKOLE DENSON-RANDOLPH, SCOTT LANDES, BOB LENIHAN,

MARIE COOK, AMANDA ALBERT, AND AMC INDEPENDENT

REPRESENTATIVE DANNY K. DAVIS AND YUL EDWARDS

JILL BARANCIK

STEPHANIE SANBORN, MARTIN HOLT, AND MARC BYERS

TONY DUDEK

MONICA GUERRERO AND CHICAGO CRED

DON GRAHAM AND CANDY MARSHALL

MARTIN NESBITT AND KIP KIRKPATRICK

ELLIOT GERSON, ERIKA MALLIN, AND THE ASPEN INSTITUTE

RICHARD PHILLIPS

MONA SUTPHEN

STEPHEN SPINELLI, KERRY HEALEY, EDWARD CHIU,

MARK RICE, DIANA PRESCOTT ZAIS, GORDON PRICHETT,

MICHELE DALY, MICHAEL LAYISH, AND BABSON COLLEGE

TAMIKA PONCE AND DELACREME MUSIC GROUP

DION (NO I.D.) WILSON

MIKE TETI, PATRICK MCNERNEY, SUSAN SMITH, WILL DALY,

DANIEL BRAUCHLI, BRETT JOHNSON, AND USROWING

RIELLY MILNE

BRAD ALAN LEWIS AND ERIC HAMILTON

DANI DEWITT AND BOB KAEHLER

LILA LEFF

IRENE HAYES, LINDA HALL, TRISH BRUBAKER,

NICK GONZALES, MEAGAN MELDRIM, AND LINCOLN PARK BOAT CLUB

ASHLEY MAYER AND THE CHICAGO TRAINING CENTER

DANA HOOPER, FRANK CLAYTON, AND OAKLAND STROKES

ALI HAYNES AND EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS

TOM MCMANAMON, JOSEPH HARRIS, DENISE REED-BURBON, AND THE WMS BOATHOUSE

WES NG, ANDREW BLUM, AND THE UPENN ROWING PROGRAM

MARVIN OWENS AND BARBARA OWENS

RICK GUERIN AND FABIENNE GUERIN

JON ALTER

DEVAL PATRICK

VICKIE LEINHAUSER

PAT PERRY

LEWIS COLLINS

MICHAEL PEREZ

JACK CARLSON, DAVID ROSENZWEIG, MOLLY KIRK,

JOE GUPPY, AND ROWING BLAZERS

JUDY GEER, PETER DREISSIGACKER, JOSH CARLSON, AND CONCEPT2

JOLINE ESPARZA, KARA CARSON, AND JL RACING

CRAIG MCALLISTER, MATT MUFFELMAN, AND HUDSON BOAT WORKS

MATTHEW LACEY AND THE GEORGE POCOCK ROWING FOUNDATION

CHRIS CLARK AND THE WISCONSIN ROWING TEAM

THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY ROWING TEAM

THE EAST BANK CLUB

DARREN REISBERG, DEREK DOUGLAS, ASHLEY ALVARADO, HEIDI NAGEL,

JUDI GOSHEN, JULIA QUINN, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

KIMBERLY CRAMER AND MARILYN PLANTADA

PATRICK FERNBACH AND BREANNE VIRGINIA FITZSIMMONS

MARK CARROLL AND KYLE ADAMS

ROSE KEMP AND LESLIE LASTER

DANIEL O’GORMAN

NOAH TENNANT AND THE STUDENTS OF BOYS’ LATIN OF PHILADELPHIA

KIT JENKINS, RACHEL ST. PIERRE, AND THE STUDENTS OF RAW ART WORKS

EMMETT FOLGERT, MATTHEW PARKER,

AND THE STUDENTS OF THE DORCHESTER YOUTH COLLABORATIVE

HEIDI DEAN, JEFF BOTTARI, AND JOSH HEDGES

KAREN WALLS AND DOUG ROBINSON

CHICAGO PARK DISTRICT

VICTORY OUTREACH

MANLEY CAREER ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL

MARK FEDERMAN AND EAST SIDE COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

ROW NEW YORK

THE CITY OF CHICAGO

THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA

THE CITY OF OAKLAND

THE ILLINOIS FILM OFFICE

THE MASSACHUSETTS FILM OFFICE

LESTER STRONG

TIM HABBERSHON

MARCI ALBOHER

JESSICA ROSENBLOOM

LISA POPIK COLL

MARGIE SULLIVAN

BOB KELLY AND LIZA YNTEMA

ONDŘEJ KOKEŠ

JAY MANSON

JAMIE AND DAISY MAZZIO-MANSON

Manley Team on location in Oakland. © 2019 Richard Schultz. Courtesy 50 Eggs Films
Mary Mazzio and DP Joe Grasso on location in Chicago. © 2019 Clayton Hauck. Courtesy 50 Eggs Films
Malcolm Hawkins on location in Oakland. ©2019 Richard Schultz. Courtesy 50 Eggs Films
Arshay Cooper on location in Oakland. ©2019 Richard Schultz. Courtesy 50 Eggs Films
Manley Team on location in Chicago. ©2019 Clayton Hauck. Courtesy 50 Eggs Films