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Doc Farm Films Presents

Boxeadora

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About Film

 

Since Castro’s Revolution, Cuba has won more Olympic gold medals in boxing than any other country in the world.  Although this boxing powerhouse has more than 19,000 male boxers, female boxing is nonexistent on the island – the result of a ban on female boxing put into place after the revolution.  Boxeadora follows Namibia, a Cuban woman who has been training in secret as a boxer for five years, hoping the government would lift its ban.  Now 38, she only has two years left of boxing eligibility.  Journey with Namibia as she tries to leave the island to follow her only dream: to compete as a boxer.

A Film By Meg Smaker

Origin story

Meg Smaker, a documentary filmmaker, is also a competitive boxer. In late 2013, she traveled to Cuba to train as a boxer for an upcoming fight. Shortly after arriving in Havana, she discovered women were banned from the sport. This was a surprise, as Cuba has a rich sports culture and is a Communist country that preaches equality. Eventually Meg found a fight gym that would train her; there she met Namibia, the only female boxer in Cuba. Inspired by Namibia’s story, Meg made the documentary Boxeadora for her thesis film after returning to the U.S. to finish her graduate degree in documentary film at Stanford University.

 
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 Screenings

for 2015

 

  • South By Southwest(SXSW)- Jury Award, Best Short Doc    Austin, TX                  March 13-21
  • Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival                    Napa Valley, CA             March 26-29
  • American Documentary Film Festival                      Palm Springs, CA            March 26-30
  • Ashland Independent Film Festival                       Ashland, OR                 April  9-13
  • Sarasota Film Festival-Jury Award, Best Short Doc       Sarasota, FL                April 10-19
  • Bare Bones Film Festival                                Muskogee, OK                April 10-19
  • Independent Film Festival Boston                        Boston, MA                  April 22-29
  • USA Film Festival - Jury Award, Best Non-Fiction        Dallas, TX                  April 22-26
  • Newport Beach Film Festival                             Newport Beach, CA           April 23-30
  • Little Rock Film Festival                               Little Rock, AR               May 11-17
  • SF Documentary Festival                                 San Francisco, CA            June  4-18
  • Los Angeles Film Festival                               Los Angeles, CA              June 10-18
  • deadCENTER Film Festival                                Oklahoma, OK                 June 10-14
  • Nantucket Film Festival                                 Nantucket, MA                June 24-29 
  • Outfest                                                 Los Angeles, CA              July  9-19
  • Guanajuato International Film Festival           San Miguel de Allende, Mexico       July 17-26
  • Rhode Island International Film Festival                Newport, RI                   Aug  4-9
  • HollyShorts Film Festival                             Los Angeles, CA               Aug 13-22
  • Sidewalk Film Festival                                  Birmingham, AL                Aug 28-29
  • Portland Film Festival                                  Portland, OR                  Sept  1-7
  • Nevada City Film Festival                               Nevada, CA                   Sept 10-13
  • DC Shorts Film Festival                                 Washington D.C.              Sept 10-20
  • Student Academy Awards- Winner Documentary              Los Angeles, CA              Sept 14-18
  • Milwaukee Film Festival                                 Milwaukee, WI              Sep24- Oct 8
  • LUNAfest                                                San Francisco, CA                 Oct 8
  • Iris Prize Competition                                  Cardiff, Wales                 Oct 7-11
  • Tacoma Film Festival                                    Tacoma, WA                     Oct 8-15
  • Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival                     Seattle, WA                    Oct 8-18
  • Mill Valley Film Festival                               Mill Valley, CA                Oct 8-18
  • Hot Springs Film Festival                               Hot Springs, AR                Oct 9-18
  • New Orleans Film Festival- Winner Audience Award        New Orleans, LA               Oct 14-22
  • Savannah Film Festival                                  Savannah, GA                  Oct 24-31 
  • St. Louis Film Festival                                 St. Louise, MO                Nov 5-15
  • DOC NYC                                                 New York, NY                  Nov 12-19
  • IDFA-International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam  Amsterdam, Netherlands        Nov 18-29

Deleted Scenes from Boxeadora

of

Cuban Embargo Innovation 

Watch more behind the SCENES videos

News & Updates

 

 

BOXEADORA documentary director Meg Smaker shares her film with trailer and clips highlighting the story of Cuban woman boxer, Namibia, and her struggle to get recognition in the ring, in a country that has somehow banned the sport for women.

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