New Dynasty Sports Film Festival Opens in South Bend This Fall

The inaugural Dynasty Sports Film Festival (DSFF) will run October 22–25 in South Bend, Indiana, opening with the world premiere of the documentary "Lou Holtz: 60 Minutes to Play and a Lifetime to Remember."

The four-day event, founded and presented by Shade Studios, aims to celebrate "the stories that shape sports culture while creating a new gathering place for the intersection of sport and cinema," according to its backers. South Bend sits in a region synonymous with Notre Dame football.

"The inaugural Dynasty Sports Film Festival will transform South Bend into a film and media sports capital, positioned in the heart of America's most passionate sports region," DSFF founders Marissa Hill and Alfred Castaneda of Shade Studios said in a statement. "We are ecstatic to bring together filmmakers, creators, and athletes for the first year of this festival and can't wait to share what we've been building with the Dynasty audience."

The festival will screen films and series across six awards categories: narrative features, documentary features, short films, brand films, student films, and social and digital creator content. It will also present films and television series out of competition. The 2026 schedule includes gala screenings, anniversary screenings, and athlete and creator conversations.

Opening Night

The October 22 opening centers on the Lou Holtz documentary about the iconic Notre Dame coach. ESPN's Hannah Storm will moderate a Q&A with director Ted Mandell following the screening. B&H Creators, a division of B&H Photo, sponsors the evening, along with Sony, Profoto, and Lexar. The night culminates with an opening party at the Studebaker Museum.

High-Profile Premieres

On October 23, the upcoming Prime Video drama series "The Greatest," about the life of Muhammad Ali, makes its festival debut with a sneak-peek screening of episode 1. Ben Watkins' Blue Monday Productions ("Cross") created and executive produces the series. Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society executive produces, alongside Authentic Studios, Roc Nation, Polygram Entertainment, a Universal Music Group partner, and Grace: A Storytelling Company.

The same day brings a screening of the upcoming ESPN documentary "The Brittney Griner Story," featuring WNBA star Brittney Griner.

Indiana Basketball Takes the Stage

October 24 features a 40th Anniversary Screening of a director's cut of "Hoosiers," with a Q&A featuring director David Anspaugh — who also directed "Rudy" — and screenwriter Angelo Pizzo, who serves on the DSFF jury. The festival will also screen "First Five," a look at legendary basketball coach Bob Knight's first recruiting class at Indiana University, with a Q&A featuring NBA player and documentary subject John Laskowski and other members of the team.

ESPN documentary "Give Me the Ball!" screens that day as well, featuring tennis legends Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Serena Williams, along with Elton John.

Closing Weekend

The festival closes October 25 with family-friendly programming, including a 20th Anniversary screening of Pixar's "Cars." Additional programming will be announced at a later date.

The jury includes Angelo Pizzo; Eugene Lee (NFL agent); Deirdre Boyle (Emeritus Professor of Media, New School); Maura Shea (Head of Film Production Department, Penn State University); Fede Goldenberg (YouTube Head of TV and Film Partnerships); Wilson Morales (Critics Choice Board of Directors, journalist at Black Film and TV); Dr. Galen Clavio (Director/Professor of Sports Media Program, Indiana University Bloomington); and Ted Mandell (Professor of Film Production, Notre Dame).

With the promised additional announcements still to come, DSFF positions South Bend as a potential annual destination for a sports-cinema niche that few festivals have claimed.