Sons of Ben Movie to premiere in Philadelphia

After what seems like an eternity, the Sons of Ben Movie is set to be unveiled to the public, with an official premiere happening right in Philadelphia. The critically acclaimed film has shown at the Thinking Football Film Festival in Bilbao, Spain and won the Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Football Film Festival. It's also expected to show in Barcelona later this month. But after traveling the world, the premiere is here in Philadelphia on June 10 at the Ritz Five Theatre at 214 Walnut Street. There will be a red carpet premiere, with guests including Sons of Ben co-founder and President Emeritus Bryan James, Philadelphia Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz, and former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell.

I had the opportunity to speak with both Bryan James and current Sons of Ben President Kenny Hanson about the recent success of the movie. James said "it's pretty crazy to think of a premiere" and noted the win in Tokyo "has gotten us more publicity than anything had for the movie."

The publicity has apparently spawned a Japanese contingent of the Sons of Ben, complete with their own Twitter page and all. Hanson said "We have members in Japan...probably 15 or 20 members out of the country, although that number is growing weekly due to the movies influence internationally."

"In the process of telling this story," says Jeffery C. Bell, the Producer/Director of Sons of Ben : The Movie. "I realized it was more than these guys/gals being just a supporters group. Something changed within them and they realized they could be bigger than what they set out to be."

When more details are made available about the premiere, we'll certainly let you know.