Special Sneak Preview During Colonial Week
FORT WORTH, Texas. (May 24, 2009) – Golf fans in the Metroplex area can get ready for next week’s Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial by watching the inspirational and entertaining special screening of THE BACK NINE (Ron Vignone, Jon Fitzgerald). Subject and filmmaker Fitzgerald is in town for the Colonial and joins Executive Producer Bobby Chang in presenting the film to local audiences in advance of their theatrical release June 25.
THE BACK NINE, which chronicles Fitzgerald’s quest to find balance in his life as he seeks the elusive goal of becoming a professional golfer, will screen at the Rave Ridgmar Theater in Ridgmar Fort Worth Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. Admission to the screening will be free to the community, on a first come, first served basis.
Fitzgerald is well-versed with golf in Fort Worth. It was there that he played a round of golf with rock icon Meat Loaf and Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.
“We were shooting “LEAP OF FAITH” with Steve Martin and I was working with the talent in the production department. We had Sunday’s off and set up a tee time in the area. It was a lot of fun to see these guys in a different environment. And Meat can hit the ball a long way,” says Fitzgerald.
Meat Loaf joins other celebrities such as George Lopez and Chris O’Donnell in “THE BACK NINE,” which begins Fitzgerald’s quest to the answer of the question of how he balances a full-time job and family commitments with an enduring dream he’s had as long as he can remember – to play professional golf. Being a filmmaker, Fitzgerald brought on award winning filmmaker Ron Vignone as co-director and decided to film the journey, a journey that tries answering the question: Can an average 42-year old golfer, husband and father of two become an elite athlete? Can he do it after beginning his own “back nine?” And once he starts the journey, what will become of his dream?
Fitzgerald couldn’t wait to find out. He assembled the best team he could find to stack the cards in his favor. He managed to bring in distinguished PGA Professional instructor Tim Suzor of the Kinetic Golf Academy in Scottsdale, AZ to work on his swing, distinguished author Dr. Joe Parent (Zen Golf) to work on his mental game, and yoga guru Katherine Roberts – a Golf Channel favorite – as well as a team of physical coaches, to help with fitness and nutrition.
The strategy works, as Fitzgerald sees his handicap go from 15 to 8 in the first year. Ready to test his progress, he joins Golf Channel’s Amateur Tour and remarkably, manages to win his first event. Later, he receives an invitation to the National Championships in Orlando, Fla. Fitzgerald currently plays to a 4 handicap as he works on fine-tuning not only his game and his life, but his dream through “THE BACK NINE.”
He is playing in his second year for the Amateur Tour, and he and Chang played in the Dallas Tour event on Sunday for The Golf Channel.
The film covers this inspirational journey from many angles, beyond merely tracking his golf progress. Fitzgerald must also come to terms with who he is, balancing the experience and guidance of his two father figures – polar opposites as people and influences in his life. Now with children of his own, Fitzgerald senses an opportunity.
Recognizing where his life’s mentors have fallen short, Fitzgerald sees his turn at fatherhood as a chance to “break the cycle” and establish a new approach to life, family and golf. “THE BACK NINE” presents the challenges inherent with finding the right balance between Fitzgerald’s personal and professional goals.
In addition to the family storylines, Fitzgerald found a way to involve them in the production. With a marketing background, his wife was able to secure sponsorships, including Cutter & Buck as an apparel partner and putting green manufacturer Synlawn to install a putting green in their backyard. Meanwhile, his 7-year old daughter composed and performed a major theme used throughout the film.
Having come from the film festival business — as co-founder of Slamdance Film Festival and former Director of AFI, Santa Barbara, and Middle East International Film Festivals — Fitzgerald and his team are utilizing film festival play to generate awareness, having premiered in Newport Beach, then Delray Beach, before bringing the film to Fort Worth.
Digital Attractions is releasing “THE BACK NINE” on June 25 under a new distribution model that will bring the film to between 200 and 300 screens. Simultaneous with that is the release of “THE BACK NINE” on DVD and video-on-demand (VOD). Along with the festival screenings, the multi-platform distribution system provides a targeted approach to reach the film’s intended audience.
For more information on the THE BACK NINE visit www.thebacknine.com
Contact:
Brian Robin
Brener Zwikel & Associates
661-349-2147 (cell)
