In celebration of International Women's Day, HBO Max TODAY announced the upcoming documentary film LFG, a no-holds-barred, inside account of the U.S. women's national team's ongoing fight for equal pay as told by Megan Rapinoe, Jessica McDonald, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O'Hara, Sam Mewis and others. The film is directed by Academy Award®-winners Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine, and produced by the Fines and Abby Greensfelder with Howard T. Owens and Ben Silverman serving as executive producers for Propagate Content in collaboration with CNN FILMS and HBO Max.
"This fight is so much bigger than ourselves and the Women's National Team", said Megan Rapinoe. "We're doing it for the next generation of female soccer players and for women throughout the world in all industries and walks of life who are also fighting for equality."
Three months before the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, the players filed a class-action, gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, which sets the stage for LFG. The film interweaves transcendent athletic performances, including a record-breaking World Cup victory in 2019, with the players' ongoing pursuit for equal pay. LFG grants viewers unprecedented access to these game-changers as they meet the physical demands and pressures of being some of the world's top athletes, while showcasing their courage, unflinching spirit and resiliency in an effort to create long-lasting social change with the biggest fight for women's rights since Title IX.
"This team of badass women is captivating on and off the field," said Jennifer O'Connell, executive vice president, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family Programming, HBO Max. "Their domination in soccer, and determination to achieve parity with their male counterparts, is awe-inspiring." Lizzie Fox, senior vice president, Non-fiction Programming, HBO Max adds "This film sheds light on the lengths these players are willing to go to fight for women's rights and equality. It's a story that needs to be told and we can't wait to share it with audiences everywhere."
"As a female director, it's my honor to capture this defining moment in these women's lives. It's their story, in their own words, and Sean and I are so excited to give these women the platform they are sorely due," said director Andrea Nix Fine of Change Content. "These women's trailblazing ascent is history in the making and exactly the type of groundbreaking stories we love bringing to audiences," said director Sean Fine.
"I am thrilled to make this documentary about these fearless women under the banner of my new female-focused content company at this watershed moment for women in our culture", said Abby Greensfelder CEO of Everywoman Studios.
"As fathers who watched the World Cup and the US Women's team year after year with our young daughters, we feel incredibly proud to bring the story of these players' groundbreaking rise to power to an even larger audience," said Propagate's Howard Owens and Ben Silverman.
"Andrea, Sean, and Abby have demonstrated exceptional tenacity and commitment to the stories of these remarkable women," said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide. "Through multiple location shoots and fast-breaking developments, during a global pandemic, they were able to create a film about the courage and grit of these athletes who have inspired people around the world by their dedication to their sport and gender equity," said Courtney Sexton, senior vice president for CNN Films.
LFG is the third original film through the production partnership between HBO Max and CNN Films. "On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries," a documentary feature about the 2020 US Presidential election and the women journalists who covered the primary campaigns for CNN, and "Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Tests," about the ubiquitous nature of personality testing that impacts all aspects of our work lives and private relationships, were produced by CNN FILMS for HBO Max and are both currently available on the platform.
