BLOOD ROAD to Be Screened at State College of Florida

In the era of "Me Too" and "Time's Up," Filmmaker Rebecca Rusch is a strong female hero who personifies the courage needed to stay brave and celebrate her power.

Her story, "Blood Road," will be screened on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, at Neel Performing Arts Center. A powerful panel discussion with the filmmaker and other inspirational leaders will follow the screening. "Blood Road" is the second documentary in State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota's (SCF) educational speaker and film series.

Rusch, a female world champion ultra-endurance mountain bike athlete, defies all odds to accomplish a seemingly impossible goal. Affectionately known as "the Queen of Pain," this powerful and heroic athlete is used to pushing her body to its limit. But nothing prepared her for the raw, emotional journey she took in 2015 when she pedaled 1,200 grueling miles of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in search of the crash site that claimed the life of her father during the Vietnam War. "Blood Road" is a journey of hope, frustration and ultimately of discovery - a way for Rusch to begin a fresh relationship with the father she lost so long ago.

To see the film trailer, visit traileraddict.com/blood-road-2017/trailer.

The SCF Educational Film Series and Panel Discussion is in partnership with the Women's Sports Museum, Sarasota Film Festival and the Through Women's Eyes Film Festival. The film series features women athletes in powerful and groundbreaking roles. The series offers the public a rare opportunity to meet the filmmakers and the female athletes at the center of these inspiring stories.

There will be two screenings of "Blood Road:"

Tuesday, March 20th at the Neel Performing Arts Center, State College of Florida, Bradenton Campus, 5840 26th Street West, Bradenton, FL.

First film screening: 4:00 PM

Second film screening: 7:00 PM

There will be a panel discussion between the two screenings at 5:30 PM, with the following participants:

Rebecca Rusch, Ultra-endurance mountain biker and filmmaker of "Blood Road"

Reggie Williams, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, ESPN, former Cincinnati Bengal

Sue Zipay, Former professional baseball player for the Rockford Peaches of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, Founder of the Women's Sports Museum, Owner of Englewood Tennis Club

Lisa Moody - Three-time Emmy Award winning producer, Director of Art Network at Ringling College of Art and Design

Colonel Linda Gould, Retired U.S. Army Officer, Patterson Foundation Community Consultant

Michael Heuser, Hollywood Executive Producer of commercial films, including "Dirty Dancing," "True Romance" and "Princess Bride"

Moderator: Ann Fries, Former Artistic Director of Through Women's Eyes Film Festival, benefitting the U.S. National Committee of UN Women

The second screening of the film will be followed by a light reception at 8:30 PM in the SCF Fine Arts Gallery, where visitors can meet and mingle with Rusch and the other panelists.

Students and Veterans may attend the screenings for free. Tickets can be purchased by the general public for $10, and are available at scftickets.com

Mark your calendar: The SCF Educational Film Series finale - a 25th Anniversary celebration of the film, "A League of Their Own" - a SFF Moonlight Movie screens at sunset on April 18, 2018!

This classic will be shown at the Historic Sarasota Lawn Bowling Club, 809 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL. Details of events to follow.

About State College of Florida (SCF)

State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, est. 1957, has campuses in Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch and Venice, in addition to an online campus. SCF offers quality education, baccalaureate degrees, associate degrees, workforce training and a collegiate school serving grades 6 through 12. SCF is boldly engaging our students, local businesses and community to meet our region's education and workforce needs. Learn more at SCF.edu. To learn more about filmmaking classes and the degree program visit https://adh.scf.edu/film/film.html.

To post a comment, you must register and login.