Join movie lovers in welcoming star Matthew Modine to Cinequest for a night of inspiration with the story of a strong-willed social worker at a youth prison who assembles a cycling team of teenage convicts and takes them on a transformative 1000-mile ride.
A social worker at a juvenile prison assembles an unlikely cycling team of teenage convicts who must outride their pasts to complete a transformative 1000-mile ride. Hard Miles is inspired by the true story of the teenage boys from Ridgeview Academy in Watkins, CO- a school for both abandoned youth, and some of the state's most violent juvenile offenders. Some battle addiction. Others belong to gangs. Most come from broken homes. But these boys are also members of the school's remarkably successful cycling team, led by coach Greg Townsend. And despite their troubles, they still have boyhood hopes, dreams, and longings. This is the story of how they found another gear.
Enjoy an exciting conversation with Maverick Spirit Award Winner Matthew Modine post screening!
MAVERICK SPIRIT AWARD EVENT
Cinequest’s highest honor, the Maverick Spirit Award, reflects the best of the worlds of innovation and artistry. It has been received by J.J. Abrams, Tatiana Maslany, Nicolas Cage, Sir Ian McKellen, Rosario Dawson, Harrison Ford, Michael Keaton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Spike Lee, Elle Fanning, Gemma Arterton, Neil Gaiman, and Jim Gaffigan.
Cinequest proudly announces Matthew Modine as the distinguished recipient of the 2024 Maverick Spirit Award. Renowned for his role as U.S. Marine Private/Sergeant J.T. "Joker" Davis in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Modine has worked with many of the film industry’s most respected directors, including Oliver Stone, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Spike Lee, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles and Christopher Nolan. Additional film and television credits include Oppenheimer, Stranger Things, The Dark Knight Rises, Short Cuts, Birdy, Married to the Mob and Any Given Sunday.
Modine is an outspoken advocate for understanding the potential impact of AI on the entertainment industry, and his interest in the convergence of technology and storytelling is evident through his filmmaking. Modine recently produced a compelling documentary Downwind, narrated by Martin Sheen, shedding light on the profound effects of nuclear tests. Beyond traditional filmmaking, he has ventured into the realm of technology with an app documentary or "app-umentary" crafted from the diary he kept while on the set of Full Metal Jacket. Beyond his cinematic pursuits, Matthew Modine is an environmentalist who cares deeply about bettering the planet, aligning seamlessly with the theme of "Uplift," making him the fitting recipient of the Maverick Spirit Award. In addition to receiving the Maverick Spirit Award, Modine will be presenting his latest film Hard Miles at the closing night ceremony on Sunday, March 17th.