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“Sal Aunese – Born to Lead” leads off Boulder International Film Festival
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The documentary, “Sal Aunese – Born to Lead” was shown Friday at the Boulder International Film Festival.
The documentary has already won awards. It was included as an Official Selection for the FICTS International Sports Film Festival in Milan, Italy, in November, 2016, and won for Best Documentary Feature Film. On top of that, Lara Slife won Best First Time Director.
If your history with the Buffs does not date back to 1986-90, you really need to see this film, as it is a great – and touching – story.
If you are a Buff fan dating back to that era, this is a “must see” – period.
The director and producer announced after the showing that the documentary will be on a cable network this summer, though they were not yet at liberty to discuss which network or dates of airing. I will post that information here on the website as soon as it is made available. You can also find updates at the Sal Aunese website, salaunese.com.
During the Q&A after the show at the Boulder International Film Festival, two of the principals of the film, wide receivers Jeff Campbell and J.J. Flannigan, spoke.
Some of what they had to say …
Jeff Campbell … “It was the ending of a life, but it was the beginning of a journey for us. It taught me that there is way more fight in your life than you can possibly imagine. I picked up J (J. Flannigan) this morning, and I hadn’t seen him in about two years, and it was like I had seen him yesterday. He started talking garbage about me – automatically – and I felt right at home. I love my teammates. Alfred Williams got up a couple of years ago and said, ‘You guys have saved my life about a hundred times, and I can tell you right now that I feel the exact same way. I know that when things go bad, I can call on a bunch of these guys, and they will be there.
I think one of the saddest moments of my life was when I had to take my uniform off at the Orange Bowl and put it into a bag, knowing that I was not going to be able to put on a CU headgear again, with that jersey, and be out there on that same field, because that was where I was at home. That was home for me, and I miss those guys every day.
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J.J. Flannigan … “I often tell people that I was born in Los Angeles, California, but I was raised here in Boulder. There were some tough times, and we went through some tough days. Our escape was that football field. Our escape was each other. I never in my life imagined that, through playing a game, that I would gain friends and brothers that I still communicate with to this day. Sal’s story is being told on the screen here today, but it was people who were here before us. My buddy Mike Marquez, who helped recruit me here, is here today. I don’t know if Mike remembers this, but on my recruiting trip here, back in 1985, he said, ‘You might as well come here, because you guys are going to become stars here’. This is another running back telling me this, telling me to come here. I fell in love with this place on my trip here.
To be a part of such a special story like that of Sal Aunese … You guys get to see this, but I wish you really could have known the man. He was a special man” …
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Both Campbell and Flannigan played key roles in two of the biggest wins in the history of the CU football program. Campbell, against Nebraska in 1986, and Flannigan, against Nebraska in 1989, both scored dramatic touchdowns against the Huskers:
Campbell:
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Flannigan:
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Stuart
Continue reading...
“Sal Aunese – Born to Lead” leads off Boulder International Film Festival
—
The documentary, “Sal Aunese – Born to Lead” was shown Friday at the Boulder International Film Festival.
The documentary has already won awards. It was included as an Official Selection for the FICTS International Sports Film Festival in Milan, Italy, in November, 2016, and won for Best Documentary Feature Film. On top of that, Lara Slife won Best First Time Director.
If your history with the Buffs does not date back to 1986-90, you really need to see this film, as it is a great – and touching – story.
If you are a Buff fan dating back to that era, this is a “must see” – period.
The director and producer announced after the showing that the documentary will be on a cable network this summer, though they were not yet at liberty to discuss which network or dates of airing. I will post that information here on the website as soon as it is made available. You can also find updates at the Sal Aunese website, salaunese.com.
During the Q&A after the show at the Boulder International Film Festival, two of the principals of the film, wide receivers Jeff Campbell and J.J. Flannigan, spoke.
Some of what they had to say …
Jeff Campbell … “It was the ending of a life, but it was the beginning of a journey for us. It taught me that there is way more fight in your life than you can possibly imagine. I picked up J (J. Flannigan) this morning, and I hadn’t seen him in about two years, and it was like I had seen him yesterday. He started talking garbage about me – automatically – and I felt right at home. I love my teammates. Alfred Williams got up a couple of years ago and said, ‘You guys have saved my life about a hundred times, and I can tell you right now that I feel the exact same way. I know that when things go bad, I can call on a bunch of these guys, and they will be there.
I think one of the saddest moments of my life was when I had to take my uniform off at the Orange Bowl and put it into a bag, knowing that I was not going to be able to put on a CU headgear again, with that jersey, and be out there on that same field, because that was where I was at home. That was home for me, and I miss those guys every day.
—
J.J. Flannigan … “I often tell people that I was born in Los Angeles, California, but I was raised here in Boulder. There were some tough times, and we went through some tough days. Our escape was that football field. Our escape was each other. I never in my life imagined that, through playing a game, that I would gain friends and brothers that I still communicate with to this day. Sal’s story is being told on the screen here today, but it was people who were here before us. My buddy Mike Marquez, who helped recruit me here, is here today. I don’t know if Mike remembers this, but on my recruiting trip here, back in 1985, he said, ‘You might as well come here, because you guys are going to become stars here’. This is another running back telling me this, telling me to come here. I fell in love with this place on my trip here.
To be a part of such a special story like that of Sal Aunese … You guys get to see this, but I wish you really could have known the man. He was a special man” …
—
Both Campbell and Flannigan played key roles in two of the biggest wins in the history of the CU football program. Campbell, against Nebraska in 1986, and Flannigan, against Nebraska in 1989, both scored dramatic touchdowns against the Huskers:
Campbell:
—
Flannigan:
–
—–
Stuart
Continue reading...
