Dynasty Sports Film Festival
The world's first major sports film and culture festival lands in downtown South Bend October 22-25. Dynasty celebrates athletic storytelling across every format, from narrative features and documentaries to brand films and digital-native creator content, bringing filmmakers, athletes, and fans together for four days of screenings, panels, and podcasts.
Founded by Shade Studios and hosted in partnership with Visit South Bend Mishawaka, Downtown South Bend, and the Momentum Entrepreneurship Hub, Dynasty honors South Bend's own place in sports cinema history.
When & Where
Date
Thursday, October 24 to Sunday, October 25, 2026
Time
Varies by event, TBA
Location
Morris Performing Arts Center, Century Center, South Bend Civic Theater, City Church and Studebaker National Museum
About Dynasty Sports Film Festival
Dynasty is the world's first digital creator-led major sports film festival in the world, positioned in the heart of America's most passionate sports region. An iconic setting where sport, storytelling and culture collide, bringing together filmmakers, athletes, industry leaders and fans. A four-day experience filled with screenings, live events, industry panels, and talent-led Q&A's, all during one of the biggest sports weekends of the year.
The Dynasty Sports Film Festival will screen films and series across six awards categories, including narrative feature films, documentary feature films, short films, brand films, student films, and social and digital creator content projects. It will also screen films and television series out of competition.
The 2026 schedule of festival activities includes Gala Screenings, Special Anniversary Screenings, Special Presentations, Athlete & Creator Conversations, Industry Sessions, and a Podcast & Creator Studio.
“The inaugural Dynasty Sports Film Festival will transform South Bend into a film and media sports capital, positioned in the heart of America's most passionate sports region,” said DSFF Founders, Marissa Hill and Alfred Castaneda of Shade Studios. “We are ecstatic to bring together filmmakers, creators and athletes for the first year of this festival and can’t wait to share what we’ve been building with the Dynasty audience.”
Gala Screenings, Anniversary Screening and Special Presentations
The Dynasty Sports Film Festival, will spotlight films and television series prior to their wider release, help audiences re-experience sports classics, and give audiences an early look at upcoming buzzworthy films.
LOU HOLTZ: 60 MINUTES TO PLAY AND A LIFETIME TO REMEMBER
The festival opens on Thursday, October 22nd, with a world premiere screening of the documentary film LOU HOLTZ: 60 MINUTES TO PLAY AND A LIFETIME TO REMEMBER about iconic Notre Dame Coach Lou Holtz followed by a Q&A moderated by ESPN’s Hannah Storm featuring director Ted Mandell. The evening will be brought to you by B&H Creators, a division of B&H Photo, Sony, Profoto and Lexar, and will culminate with an Opening Night Party at Studebaker National Museum.
THE GREATEST
Upcoming Prime Video drama series, THE GREATEST about the life of Muhammad Ali, will make its festival debut with a sneak-peak screening of episode 1 on Friday, October 23rd. The series is executive produced and created by Ben Watkins’ Blue Monday Productions (Cross) and executive produced by Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, with Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, Polygram Entertainment, a Universal Music Group partner, and Grace: A Storytelling Company.
On the same day the festival will also feature a screening of the upcoming ESPN documentary THE BRITTNEY GRINER STORY (Official Sundance Film Festival 2026) featuring WNBA star Brittney Griner.
HOOSIERS (40th Anniversary director's cut)
On Saturday, October 24th there will be a special 40th Anniversary Screening of a special Director’s Cut of HOOSIERS featuring a Q&A with Director David Anspaugh (also director of RUDY) and Screenwriter Angelo Pizzo (also screenwriter of RUDY) as well as a screening of FIRST FIVE, an unprecedented look at legendary basketball coach Bob Knight’s first recruiting class at Indiana University, featuring a Q&A with NBA player and subject of the doc, John Laskowski and other members of the team.
There will also be a screening of ESPN documentary GIVE ME THE BALL! (Official Sundance Film Festival 2026 Selection and Tribeca Film Festival 2026 Selection) featuring tennis legends Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Serena Williams, along with Elton John.
CARS 20th Anniversary Screening
The festival will close with family-friendly focused programming on Sunday, October 25th with a 20th Anniversary screening of CARS.
Additional programming and highlights to be announced.
Gala Screenings
LOU HOLTZ: 60 MINUTES TO PLAY AND A LIFETIME TO REMEMBER — Festival World Premiere (dir. Ted Mandell). Q&A with Director Ted Mandell, moderated by ESPN’s Hannah Storm to follow.
THE GREATEST — Prime Video Limited Series. The series is executive produced by Ben Watkins’ Blue Monday Productions (Cross) and Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, with Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, Polygram Entertainment, a Universal Music Group partner, and Grace: A Storytelling Company.
FIRST FIVE — a documentary about Indiana Basketball Coach Bob Knight’s first five recruits. Q&A with NBA player and subject of the doc, John Laskowski and other members of the team to follow.
THE BRITTNEY GRINER STORY — (Official Sundance Film Festival 2026) featuring WNBA star Brittney Griner.
GIVE ME THE BALL! — (Official Sundance Film Festival 2026 Selection and Tribeca Film Festival 2026 Selection) featuring tennis legends Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Serena Williams, along with Elton John.
Competition Categories
The DSFF celebrates the work of established and emerging filmmakers in the juried competition, and showcases the best of professional and student feature-length films, series and shorts in the below categories:
Narrative Features - Sports-driven full-length films
Feature Documentaries - Featuring sport and sports culture
Short Films - All formats, between 5-40 minutes
Brand Films - Agency and Commercial, any length
Social & Digital - Creator Social and Digital Content, long and short-form accepted
Student Film - Current students (all formats)
Festival Jurors
- Angelo Pizzo - Screenwriter, HOOSIERS and RUDY
- Eugene Lee - NFL Agent
- Deirdre Boyle - Emeritus Professor of Media, New School
- Maura Shea - Head of Film Production Department, Penn State University
- Fede Goldenberg - YouTube Head of TV and Film Partnerships
- Wilson Morales - Critics Choice Board of Directors, Journalist at Black Film and TV
- Dr. Galen Clavio - Director/Professor of Sports Media Program, Indiana University Bloomington
- Ted Mandell - Professor of Film Production, University of Notre Dame
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