Via Zoom: Director Mary Wall’s ‘The Fan Connection’ at Wilmette Theatre, Oct. 7-8, 2022

Submitted by PatrickMcD on October 7, 2022 - 7:47am

CHICAGO – A fascinating documentary on the essence of ardent hockey fanatics is in “The Fan Connection’ by Mary Wall, her debut film. Wall is originally from the Buffalo, New York, area and observed the hope that the Buffalo Sabres NHL hockey team gave the sports crazy city, which resulted in her chronicle in “The Fan Connection.” The film will screen at the Wilmette (Illinois) Theatre on October 7th and 8th, with an appearance by Mary Wall. Click LET’S GO BUFFALO for details and a ticket link.

The Rust Belt city of Buffalo yearns to reclaim its lost pride after years of decline. When a new owner purchases the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and promises a championship, the team’s fans get a sense of optimism. Three sets of fans are profiled … a couple married since World War II and hoping for a Stanley Cup soon, a young man with mild cerebral palsy determined to carve out a normal life, and a widowed mother with a teenager struggling to find her identity while coping with the death of her father. “The Fan Connection” immerses us in these stories of everyday Buffalonians to shed light on the larger story of why sports matter in a city seeking to rise from the ashes.

‘The Fan Connection,’ directed by Mary Wall
Photo credit: UT Buffalo Hockey Fan Documentary

Mary Wall was a math teach and environmental engineer when she decided to switch disciplines and move to Los Angeles, where she worked in in various capacities on the popular TV series “The Office” … co-writing an episode and writing several “webisodes” … and also “Parks and Recreation.” “The Fan Connection” is her directorial debut.

In an interview via Zoom with filmmaker Mary Wall of “The Fan Connection” by Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, she talks about the over one decade journey of telling the story of Buffalo and the Sabres fans …

”The Fan Connection” will screen on October 7th and 8th, 2022, at the Wilmette Theatre, 1122 Central Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. Directed by Mary Wall. Not Rated.