Description

From Academy-Award nominated director Dee Mosbacher and Academy-Award winning cinematographer Fawn Yacker comes one of the biggest award-winners on the 2009 LGBT film festival circuit: TRAINING RULES.

Women’s basketball coach Rene Portland had three training rules during her 26 years at Pennsylvania State University: no drinking, no drugs and no lesbians. TRAINING RULES examines how a wealthy athletic department, enabled by the silence of a complacent university, allowed talented athletes who were thought to be gay, to be dismissed from their college team. The film follows the lawsuit filed in 2006 against Portland and Penn State by student athlete Jennifer Harris.  This high profile case ignited the world of women’s collegiate sports. It inspired the discussions so sorely needed to end discrimination based on sexual orientation that pervades all organized sport.

Powerfully  narrated by international swimming great Diana Nyad, TRAINING RULES is a riveting must-see film.

To aid those dealing with homophobia in sports, Wolfe and Woman Vision are offering a FREE DISCUSSION GUIDE to help readers to understand the issues, and to develop specific actions an athlete can take who feels he or she are being discriminated against. To download this free discussion  guide, available as a pdf file, click here

Awards & Quotes

“Compelling . . . well done. . . this gem is worth seeking out!” – NBC Philadelphia

“The interviews with Portland’s former players are moving and inspiring… there is definitely heart in Training Rules.” – Metro Weekly

“A maddening, heartbreaking, ultimately satisfying documentary.” – Creative Loafing

“An eye-opening documentary!” – San Francisco Bay Guardian

“You know when the director of (a) Oscar-nominated Best Documentary Short, and the cinematographer of (a) Oscar-winning Best Documentary Short, collaborate on a new documentary, you’re bound to get one hell of a film!” – Lavender Magazine

“Award-winning Bay Area filmmakers Dee Mosbacher and Fawn Yacker have woven a powerful web of evidence, interviews and the emotional and heartbreaking stories of players who suffered under Portland’s long, intolerant tenure.” – Frameline, SF Int’l GLBT Film Fest

“Training Rules Oscar nominee Dee Mosbacher’s doc smacks down local native Rene Portland, former esteemed WBCA coach.” – Philadelphia Weekly

“Must-see story!” – Just Out Oregon

WINNER: AUDIENCE AWARD, BEST DOCUMENTARY: FRAMELINE, SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL LGBT FILM FESTIVAL
JURY AWARD: ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL
AUDIENCE AWARD, BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: BIRMINGHAM SHOUT FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER: BEST DOCUMENTARY: PIKES PEAK LAVENDER FILM FESTIVAL

Product Features

DVD

• Directors' Interview 
• Featurette: The Mark Tewksbury Story 
• Featurette: A Division One Coach Comes Out: Sherri Murrell Interview  Bonus Short: NCLR at 30 — An uplifting portrait of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).

Photo Gallery