Skip to main content
#
The Independent Critic

 2012 Heartland Film Festival: A-Z Reviews, Vol. 22 
Right to Play (41 Mins., Doc Short)

Featuring: Johann Olav Koss; Directed by: Frank Marshall

One of the more pleasant surprises among the doc shorts during the 2012 Heartland Film Festival, Frank Marshall's 41-minute Right to Play is an entertaining and informative look at Johann Olav Koss, a man who could have cashed in after winning four Olympic gold medals but who instead became one of the globe's leading forces for sport by becoming founder, president and CEO of Right to Play, Inc., an organization using the power of sport to improve the lives of children around the world.

Right to Play is a deceptively simple and straightforward doc, a doc that ends up being far more satisfying after you've allowed to brew in your heart and your mind for awhile after viewing it. The film beautifully captures the heart and soul of Koss, a man who has obviously been guided for years by a vision much higher than himself. In a mere 41 minutes, director Frank Marshall captures more inspiration, power and life-changing drama than do many documentaries twice as long.

An official selection of the 2012 Heartland Film Festival, Right to Play was also one of the festival's most rewarding shorts and documentaries.


Rotating Clock (3 Mins., High School Film Team Competition)

Directed by: Carmel High School Team

This breezy 3-minute short from Carmel High School follows a student who decides that everything has already been accomplished - so why keep trying? He finds inspiration after a meeting with his high school counselor, and you'll find your own inspiration after checking out this well done short film.