GIBSONBURG, OHIO -- For months, WNWO has been bringing you a behind the scenes look Hollywood at work...in Gibsonburg. Yes, Gibsonburg.
Filmmakers, cast and crew spent the summer in and around northwest and central Ohio shooting scenes for the soon-to-be-released story behind the 2005 Gibsonburg High School state championship baseball team. The Bad News Bears-esque film highlights the unlikely rise 6-17 team to Ohio's Div. IV state championship in Columbus.
The Golden Bears notched up only six wins in the regular season in 2005, dropping 17 games in defeat. The team then went on to win eight consecutive games in playoff action, earning a state title and eventual silver screen bragging rights with the movie, Gibsonburg.
Bob Mahaffey, the film's Writer/Producer/Director, was talking to the husband of a family member who told him the Gibsonburg team's story over Thanksgiving dinner one year. From there, the Dublin, Ohio based filmmaker went to work.
On a limited budget of $200,000, Mahaffey gave a number of college kids their first big break in film, using them on and off-screen to cut costs.
A few big names such as comedian and actress Judy Tenuta, plus an Emmy-award winning cinematographer and a Hollywood director round out the cast and crew.
Mahaffey plans on entering the film in the Sundance, Tribeca and Toronto Film festivals. The movie has not been rated and no release date has been announced.
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