City Lax movie debuts in Silver Spring, Md. Thursday at 7 p.m.

”City Lax: An Urban Lacrosse Story,” winner of the 2010 Jury Prize for Best Documentary and the coveted Audience Award at the Sonoma International Film Festival, will make its Maryland debut on June 3rd at AFI Silver Theater at 7pm as part of the AFI SIlverdocs Sports’ Series.

The film follows a group of 12-year-olds from inner-city Denver as they find a hint of salvation in a most unlikely sport. One is a poet. Another a musician. One has a dad who was murdered. One has a mother in jail. And one just got into Denver’s most prestigious private school. From the moment the kids discover what a lacrosse stick is, to the heart stopping finale at the State Championships, City Lax: An Urban Lacrosse Story takes audiences on an unforgettable journey, where the spirit of the kids carries them to places unexpected and unbelievable.

“We filmed every day for 6 months” said film director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, who relocated to Denver to make the film. “I thought it would be a simple story. But I don’t think anyone had any idea what a roller coaster ride it would be. Giving a kid the chance to be good or even great at something – you can’t really imagine how powerful that is.”

And the film is already being hailed a winner by those in the film industry and the sport. Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me says “You’ll never look at lacrosse the same way again,” and when asked about City Lax: An Urban Lacrosse Story, Legendary Lacrosse Coach Bill Tierney says “it’s the best sports movie, maybe the best overall movie I’ve ever seen.”

Filmmakers Gabriela Cowperthwaite and Tor Myhren both grew up in Denver, Colorado. Tor is currently the Chief Creative Officer of Grey Advertising in New York, the 5th largest advertising agency in the world. He created the E*Trade talking baby and the Oprah car giveaway, among other pop culture hits. This is his first feature-length film.

Gabriela is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has directed, produced and written a wide variety of real life stories for ESPN, The History Channel, Animal Planet and National Geographic. She lives in LA with her husband and her 4-year-old twin sons.

For tickets, visit citylaxthemovie.com or click here. For more information, contact Info@citylaxthemovie.com.