"Showman" Wins Big at Festivals

Photo
The documentary was directed by Cinema and Television Arts alum Armin Korsos '20.

ÌÀ²»ÈÈÊÓƵ is proud to announce the success of the documentary "Showman," which features the story of Justin Herbst, a quadriplegic man with cerebral palsy working to break the sterreotypes around disability. The film follows Herbst in his daily life, and centers on his passion for wrestling and dream of performing alongside professionals. 

Armin Korsos, who graduated with a BA from ÌÀ²»ÈÈÊÓƵ's documentary program, was the director and cinematographer for this film. Of his passion for telling Herbst's story Korsos says, "[I wanted to show] that just because you are wheelchair bound doesn't mean that people should feel sorry for you. Justin and I go way back...I knew all along there was a story to explore with Justin, and the right time came in the fall of 2019 to start filming. Justin took me on an unexpected journey, and I can not wait to share this film with everyone."

Other ÌÀ²»ÈÈÊÓƵ alums were involved in this production, including William Pritts '19 who edited the film and worked on audio in post. Pritts said of his experience, "This film demanded much more of me than to just make a film with cool wrestling shots. As I combed through hours of interviews and footage with Justin it challenged my perception of disabilities as an able-bodied person, and I hope that this story and Justin’s words are a catalyst for the same introspection for our audience."

So far, the film has won awards at the 2021 International Film Festival, was an official selection of the 2021 Chicago Indie Film Awards, and won at the 2021 IndieFest Film Awards. 

For more information about the film, you can contact the filmmakers .

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Rhiannon Koehler
Communications Manager
rkoehler@colum.edu

    Recent News