Independent Film Festival Boston 2009

Director Al Ward in attendance.

Set in the world of competitive cheerleading, BLOOD, SWEAT & CHEERS follows the Pop Warner Junior Midget squad from Burlington, Mass., as they fight to reclaim the championship title they’ve let slip through their spirit fingers in recent years. Disappointed with being second best, the current squad of 13-year old “veterans” prepares for the last opportunity to regain their supremacy and win the national championship. In a town that breeds winners and considers anything less than a national title to be a failure, the cheerleaders––not the football players––are the local heroes. Meeting expectations is paramount.

Director Al Ward showcases the pressure to live up to the legacy set before these girls, as well as just how taxing it is to both them and the community. Immersing themselves in the cheerleading culture, the filmmakers capture the raw emotion, energy, excitement, anticipation, and suspense that come with being the best.

The Burlington Patriots Pop Warner Junior Midgets have two minutes and 30 seconds to change their world and end it all with a flourish of BLOOD, SWEAT & CHEERS. Can this group of cheerleaders set aside their inner demons, personal injuries, and last-minute choreography changes to take what’s rightfully theirs? Or will it all crash and burn before their glittery eyes?

- Dan McCallum