Brooklyn Castle Opens Tonight

Let me guess; the chess team weren’t exactly considered players at your school. Well at I.S. 318 middle school in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that’s exactly what they are. Some of the highest ranked chess players in the nation, in fact. As principal Fred Rubino beams in the film Brooklyn Castle: “The geeks, they are the athletes”.

Director and Rooftop Film alumni Kate Dellamaggiore tells the stories, triumphs, and tribulations of five young talents in a documentary film that has been praised as ‘Irresistibly uplifting’, ‘Marvelous and ‘An absolutely wonderfully-produced feature documentary filled with touching, inspirational stories of hope, ambition, and perseverance’ by critics.

Now is your chance to get to know thisĀ remarkable and inspiring group of kids as they face challenges both at the chess board, and dinner table of their homes. Ironically, the biggest obstacle is not competition from other chess champions, but budget cuts to all extracurricular activities at their school.

This film gives insight into the big brains and little bodies of these young lives, and is a great inspiration for a pressing debate about the interplay between pedagogy and politics.

Brooklyn Castle opens tonight Friday Oct. 19th at Landmark Sunshine and Lincoln Center, andĀ at selected theaters nationwide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFzUYRC3_H8