Dare to Be

Dare to Be, weaves together three distinct stories, as characters grow and move through their development from High School to Collegiate and for some even into Elite Rowing.

The audience will first be educated to the fundamentals of rowing, as it follows a group of high school girls who are drawn to the sport for various reasons as middle schoolers. The film follows these young women from their early days in “Learn to Row,” through their growth and development into intense high school rowing. Audience members experience the power of the girls, who while discovering the sport also discover themselves. The film also explores the question of when it is that an individual makes a leap to believe in oneself as someone special. Throughout the film, the meaning of success and the factors surrounding its definition will be a prevalent theme. The stories of the high school rowers will also navigate the choppy waters of college recruiting.

The second story, Collegiate Rowing, will follow the tradition and ground breaking accomplishments of women’s college rowing. This will be accomplished at a personal and institutional level, as we follow specific athletes on their college journey. Some of these athletes are ones we met

in the High School narratives, and they serve as a connecting line of the film, tying the different sections together.

The third story, Elite Rowing, will follow 2012 Olympic Team Members Sara Hendershot and Sarah Zelenka, on their journey to make it back to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. It will also feature other Olympians, such as Erin Cafaro Taylor Ritzel, Mary Whipple and Sarah Trowbridge, as they share their own stories.

Filmmaker

Adam Reist – Director

Adam Reist’s career in the entertainment industry has spanned over two decades. Adam is currently President and Creative Director of Coastline Pictures. At Coastline Pictures he has directed numerous projects ranging from documentaries to television commercials, for clients such as “The Color Purple” and the 2016 Tony Award winning musical “Hamilton”. From 2004 to 2009 he was a Director on CBS’s daytime drama Guiding Light.

Adam has directed two short films; the critically acclaimed Supertalk starring Kathleen Chalfant and Billy Crudup and the award winning Back to One. Adam co-produced both films and co-wrote Supertalk. Before becoming a Director, Adam worked as a Stage Manager on Guiding Light, Another World, ESPN, The Madison Square Garden Network and Telemundo.

Adam was a member of the 2004 DGA Award winning Outstanding Drama Series Directing team and 1994 Daytime Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team. Adam is a member of the Directors Guild of America and The University of North Carolina’s Order of the Golden Fleece.