Freddy Awards Documentary MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS to Air on WFMZ

MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS, the documentary film shot during the 2008 FREDDY Awards program by CANYONBACK FILMS, will air on 69 WFMZ TV on Saturday, May 20th in celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the FREDDY Awards.

While on location in 2008, Filmmakers Matthew Kallis and Christopher Lockhart from CANYONBACK FILMS shot over 300 hours of film, following local schools from rehearsal of their own productions through awards ceremony night. They also spent hours with FREDDY production staff and members of the extended "FREDDY" community of the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

"A documentary is expected to have something to say whether it be about the human condition or a social cause," note the filmmakers. "Here, the cause is that high school performing arts deserve to be treated with the same kind of respect as high school sports. High school sports are regularly lavished with funding, publicity and scholarships, but this convention is challenged in the Lehigh Valley, PA where dedicated theater kids take center stage to present elaborate versions of Broadway musicals. Illustrating that the performing arts encourage the same teamwork, camaraderie and confidence as sports, MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS culminates with a race to the FREDDY Awards - the "Super Bowl" of high school musical theater."

Most Valuable Players was accepted into 18 documentary film festivals across the globe and was part of Oprah Winfrey Network's (OWN) documentary film club which premiered in 2011. The film is currently available on Netflix and many other streaming sites. For more information, visit mostvaluableplayersmovie.com.

69 WFMZ-TV has been the broadcast partner for the FREDDY Awards since its inaugural year in 2003. The broadcast has been honored with two regional EMMY Awards, in 2005 & 2011, and has also received 5 additional EMMY Nominations, 6 Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Awards, including the 2008 Award for Outstanding Television Program Designed for Children, and 6 Associated Press Awards for Public Affairs.

The 2017 FREDDY Awards Ceremony will be broadcast live from the State Theatre in Easton, PA on WFMZ - TV and wfmz.com on Thursday, May 25 at 7 PM. The FREDDY Awards program recognizes and rewards exceptional accomplishments in the production and performance of musical theater in high schools in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania, and Warren County, New Jersey. For more information visit www.freddyawards.org.

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