Submitted by Nyhuis Creative.
TACOMA, WA – Sep 14, 2022 – The First Annual Zion International Film Festival, presented by Nyhuis Creative, will kick off on Thursday, September 22, with the regional premiere of The Last Champion at The Blue Mouse Theatre followed by bowling at Chalet Bowl.
John Wright was a hometown hero–the powerful star of his high school wrestling team and a promising Olympian. He could have had it all… but one bad decision destroyed his dreams and forced him to leave under a cloud of scandal that has haunted him ever since.
Twenty years later, John returns to his small town after his mother’s death, hoping to save his family home from foreclosure. His icy reception proves that his former friends and neighbors still haven’t forgiven him for letting them down. Unexpectedly, John gets the opportunity to turn everything around– by coaching his high school’s wrestling team. There he meets Michael, a talented underdog with a troubled homelife who faces a vicious opponent out to destroy him both on and off the mat. Can John become the leader the team and Michael needs, or will he lose himself to the dark demons of his past?
The Last Champion is an inspirational family sports drama that will have you believing in second chances. Beautifully photographed in the Pacific Northwest, it’s a story about faith, loss and redemption starring Cole Hauser (Yellowstone), Hallie Todd (Lizzie McGuire), Randall Batinkoff (X-Men: First Class) and Peter Onorati (This is Us). The film is directed, produced and co-written by actor Glenn Withrow (The Outsiders).
“As the writer, director and producer of The Last Champion, I was involved in every stage of the process, from paper to screen. Besides the task of driving the project forward from pre-production through completion, putting together the right team both in front and behind the camera was essential.
“I worked closely with veteran casting director Ronnie Yeskel to find the right actors for each role. Cole Hauser, with his quiet, intense authenticity, was the perfect choice for our lead character, John Wright.
“Creating the world of Garfield, John’s hometown, was challenging, especially due to a record snowfall. Although the small town offered up its own beautiful locations, I was fortunate to have the award-winning art director John Dexter serve as our production designer. He created and built many of the story’s interiors and exteriors from scratch.
“With the film’s winter time constraints it was imperative to be as prepared as possible. I made multiple trips to Garfield throughout the year to pre-visualize and storyboard scenes so that when we began principle photography, we could be extremely efficient.
“It took five composers auditioning before I found Kazimir Boyle and his music was worth the wait. Our Academy Award and Emmy-winning post sound team gave the film the detail, richness and power that I feel it deserves. Post-production is a long and involved creative endeavor and I could not have worked with a more dedicated group of people.”
-Glenn Withrow, Writer/Director/Producer of The Last Champion
The Zion International Film Festival 2022 will bring together a unique blend of narrative and documentary films. Film premieres, parties, and networking events will take place around Tacoma in some of the best venues the area has to offer including The Blue Mouse Theatre, The Grand Cinema, Chalet Bowl, and the Mayflower Room at Resurrection.
The Zion International Film Festival is programmed by Festival Director, Laura Nyhuis, whose work has garnered praise from MovieMaker and Filmmaker Magazine.
For updates on the complete list of programming for the first annual Zion International Film Festival in the coming days, follow @zionfilmfest on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook or visit zionfilmfest.com/2022-film-schedule.
About the Zion International Film Festival Partners:
The 2022 Zion International Film Festival is supported by our corporate partners: Nyhuis Creative, Nations Media, Simple DCP, and Elbe Supply.
