"Ghost Town to Havana is a heartbreaking, funny, and inspirational story about mentorship, life, love, murder, kids and baseball in Oakland and Havana today."

 

Ghost Town to Havana wins the Audience Award for Best Picture at the 2016 Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival!

Coach Roscoe Bryant accepts the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival Audience Award from Festival Director Randy Hall on July 15th, 2016

Coach Roscoe Bryant accepts the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival Audience Award from Festival Director Randy Hall on July 15th, 2016

PRESS

REVIEWS

Mark Burger, Yes Weekly, April 6, 2016: 'In some cases, the Cuban players have more advantages than their American counterparts (not the least of which is ongoing parental involvement in their lives), although neither side truly has it easy. That’s where the game comes into play, so to speak. It’s their outlet, their common bond. Anyone who’s ever loved the game of baseball will find Ghost Town to Havana a heart-warming and heart-tugging valentine, although it never shies away from the harsh realities of life which so often intrude on the pursuit of such passion.'

Killer Movie Reviews, October 27, 2015: 'Ghost Town to Havana is a film about hope, baseball, and belonging. The film blends reminiscences of Corr’s boyhood relationship to baseball and to his father, with the story of Bryant’s commitment to coaching kids’ baseball in the Ghost Town area of Oakland, Ca, also known as the Foster Hoover Historic District . Thanks to Corr, Bryant is introduced to Coach Nicholas Reyes, a baseball coach in Havana on a similar mission. In a beautiful study in comparisons and contrasts, Corr’s film ponders what boys need in order to grow into positive manhood, and points up with crystal clarity how America is failing its inner-city at-risk youth.'

Chuck Barney, San Jose Mercury News: '(Ghost Town to Havana) draws comparisons between the difficulties facing low-income youths in Oakland and Havana but also points out a glaring difference: While the American households so often are missing one or both parents and the kids feel isolated, there is a true sense of community in Cuba, which cares for its kids "impossibly well."'

AWARDS

Here are the awards Ghost Town to Havana won during the 2016 Festival season:

Audience Award Winner Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival: Feature Documentary
Syracuse International Film Festival - Basel Shehade Award Winner
Berkeley Video Film Festival Grand Festival Award - Best Cross Cultural Documentary
Big Water Film Festival - Best Documentary

FOUNDATION FUNDERS

Ghost Town to Havana has been honored with several grant awards from individuals and organizations. The people of the Bay Area supported the film with more than 200 donations in amounts from $10 to $60,000 - thank you!

Berkeley Film Foundation
A grant program for independent filmmakers with a mission to nurture, sustain and preserve the thriving Berkeley Film community.

CalHum/ California Documentary Project
The CDP supports film, radio and new media projects that document the California experience and explore issues of significance to Californians.

The San Francisco Foundation - Bay Area Documentary Fund
The Foundation is interested in documentaries exploring issues that have been historically underexposed, misinterpreted, or ignored and that are pertinent to the five Bay Area counties we serve.

East Bay Community Fund
The EBCF is a leading resource for mobilizing financial resources and community leadership to transform the lives of people in the East Bay.

San Francisco Film Society and Film Arts Foundation Documentary Fund
Together the SFFS/Film Arts Foundation Documentary Grant awarded a one-time grant for documentary feature films in post-production.

The Fleishhacker Foundation
The Foundation supports innovators in mainly two fields: Art & Culture and Precollegiate (K-12) Education.   

SFFS Film House Residency
The Fellowship provided a 9-month residency for emerging or established filmmakers.                            

Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund
The Fund is committed to positive social change and supports a variety of progressive non-profit organizations with seed grants.

Individual Donations
Over 50 private donations helped From Ghost Town to Havana meet the EBCF matching grant.