ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT: AMERICAN WEIGHTLIFTING
Please request additional information or a screener copy of the full movie here.
Press Release
Word Doc | PDF | Web
Film Data
Movie Clips
The following clips are available in web (.mp4) or NTSC broadcast format (.mov). They can be downloaded and saved by right-clicking the link and selecting "Save as".
Photographs
Click name to view. To download/save, right-click and select "Save as".
Production / Behind the Scenes
Points of Interest
Truly Independent
The production of the movie was truly a one-man operation. Greg Everett literally did every single thing: wrote, filmed, edited and even recorded original scoring. It was produced with no outside funding, with an unheard of budget of only $10,000, and is being distributed through Everett's own small business, Catalyst Athletics.
Women & Weightlifting
Weightlifting is often considered a masculine endeavor, but this film shows many female weightlifters who defy the public's misconception that female weightlifters must be huge and manly.
Filmmaker Bio
Greg Everett is the a 33-year-old owner of Catalyst Athletics in Sunnyvale, California, a facility that houses the gym for the Catalyst Athletics weightlifting team and fitness programs, and the other side of Catalyst Athletics that publishes and distributes books, DVDs, a monthly journal and other educational material for the sport of weightlifting. He is the author of the most popular book on the sport, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches, and is a sought-after speaker internationally. In addition to being the head coach of a national-medalist team, Everett is also still a national-level competitive weightlifter who trained under coach Mike Burgener.
Cast Bios
Mike Burgener is a retired USA Weightlifting Senior International Coach who now is the head of the Olympic weightlifting certification program for the fitness juggernaut CrossFit, Inc. He has coaches multiple national champions, including his oldest son, Casey Burgener, the long-time number-one ranked weightlifter in the US.
John Thrush owns Thrush Sports Performance in Sumner, Washington, and head coach of the Calpians Weightlifting Team, winner of multiple national championships. Thrush was a lifter for the Air Force weightlifting team and coached Melanie Roach to the 2008 Olympics.
Jim Schmitz is the former own of the Sports Palace in San Francisco, one of the oldest and most legendary weightlifting gyms in the country. He has coached multiple Olympians, national champions and American record holders in his over 40 years in the sport.
Bob Takano is the coach of Phat Elvis Weightlifting Club, which was housed in various rooms on the Van Nuys High School campus for nearly the entire 30 years he worked there as a teacher. Takano coached Albert Hood to the 1984 Olympics.
Danny Camargo is the coach of Team Florida - Altamonte Springs and has produced many youth lifters who have gone on to the Olympic training centers in Colorado Springs and Northern Michigan University. He was in the first group of weightlifters to be selected for the resident athlete program at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and is a former junior American record holder.
Casey Burgener is a retired weightlifter who was a long-time resident of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is a multiple-time national champion and international team member, and has held multiple junior American records. Questionable circumstances in the USA Weightlifting organization kept him from competing at the 2008 Olympics.
Natalie Burgener (Woolfolk) is a retired weightlifter who was a long-time resident of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. She is a multiple-time national champion and international team member, and has held multiple American records. Natalie competed in the 2008 Olympics.
Kevin Doherty is the coach of Hassle Free Barbell Club and a teacher at Lincoln High School in San Francisco, CA. His program in the high school has identified, recruited and produced numerous international-level weightlifters, including one of the current resident weightlifters at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (D'Angelo Osorio).
Paul Doherty is the coach of Hassle Free Barbell Club and a teacher at Sacramento High School in Sacramento, CA. Like his older brother Kevin, his program in the high school has identified, recruited and produced numerous international-level weightlifters, including one of the current resident weightlifters at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (Donovan Ford).
Matt Foreman is a former weightlifter with the Calpians Weightlifting Team under coach John Thrush, reaching the level of competing at the Olympic trials. He is now a teacher and coach at Mountain View High School in Arizona.
Aimee Everett (Anaya) is a former national champion weightlifter and wife of Greg Everett. She trained under coach Mike Burgener for many years and now helps run Catalyst Athletics with her husband.
Rick Adams is the former CEO of USA Weightlifting.
Quotes on Making the Movie
"The production value is low. I knew it would be from the start. It necessarily reflects the state of weightlifting in the US. My hope is that the message and the content will make viewers forget it."
—Greg Everett
"I'm not a filmmaker. I don't know the first thing about making movies. But the movie needed to be made, and no one else was going to do it, so I did."
—Greg Everett
"It's the first movie about the sport, but I hope it won't be the last or the best. I hope it's a start, and it inspires people with far more talent than me to continue the story."
—Greg Everett
"I expect criticism from the film community. When we're done talking about that, we can talk about their accomplishments in the sport of weightlifting."
—Greg Everett
"I made this movie because I want to see the sport I love celebrated and recognized for what it is, and I happened to have just barely enough ability to pull it off."
—Greg Everett
"Ever tried editing audio in an active weightlifting gym? It's like... trying to edit audio in a weightlifting gym."
—Greg Everett
Full Credits
Written, Directed, Filmed, Edited & Produced by
Greg Everett
Interviews with
Mike Burgener
John Thrush
Jim Schmitz
Bob Takano
Danny Camargo
Kevin Doherty
Paul Doherty
Greg Everett
Matt Foreman
Rick Adams
Casey Burgener
Natalie Woolfolk
Jessica Salvaggio
Brian Wilhelm
Dr. Fran Curaming
Aimee Everett
Steve Pan
Dangelo Osorio
Photographs
University of Notre Dame
Steven Zeigman
Les Kernoodle
Greg Everett
Ashley Weber
Mike Burgener
Rob Macklem
Jim Schmitz
Josua Aylock
Gary Green
Danny Camargo
Tim Swords
Sean Waxman
Werksan USA
Jean Barrett Holloway, author of Weightlifting Rules, Poems & Photographs (2013, Tebot Bach Press)
Music
Original Score Greg Everett
Atlantean Twilight Kevin MacLeod
Julie's Tune Seismic Anamoly
Tear it Down Electric Frankenstein
Special Thanks
Irving Der
Mike Gray
Jacob Flint
Paul Gill
Kenny Triboletti
Joe Delago
All the coaches and lifters who took part in this film
Please request additional information or a screener copy of the full movie here.
Press Release
Word Doc | PDF | Web
Film Data
- Genre: Documentary, Drama
- Release Date: November 16th 2013
- Running Time: 126 min.
- Director: Greg Everett
- Cast: Mike Burgener, John Thrush, Jim Schmitz, Bob Takano, Kevin Doherty, Paul Doherty, Danny Camargo, Greg Everett
- Distributor: Catalyst Athletics
- Format: DVD, VOD and Digital download/streaming
- Official Website: www.americanweightliftingfilm.com
Movie Clips
The following clips are available in web (.mp4) or NTSC broadcast format (.mov). They can be downloaded and saved by right-clicking the link and selecting "Save as".
- Original Trailer - Web | Broadcast
- International Drug Use - Web | Broadcast
- Appeal of the Sport - Web | Broadcast
- Mike Burgener - Web | Broadcast
Photographs
Click name to view. To download/save, right-click and select "Save as".
Production / Behind the Scenes
- BTS: Editing Early Footage (2010)
- BTS: Final Days of Editing (2013)
- BTS: Shooting Interview with Danny Camargo 1 (2010)
- BTS: Shooting Interview with Danny Camargo 2 (2010)
- BTS: Shooting Training Footage with Danny Camargo 1 (2010)
- BTS: Shooting Training Footage with Danny Camargo 2 (2010)
- BTS: Interview Setup at Catalyst Athletics (2013)
- BTS: The Gear that Made the Movie (2013)
- Official Movie Poster
- The Sports Palace 2003-2005 (Jim Schmitz)
- Mike's Gym (Mike Burgener)
- Bob Takano (Phat Elvis Weightlifting Club)
- John Thrush 1973
- Mike Burgener, Cinncinatti Open 1972
- Danny Camargo, Olympic Training Center
- Greg Everett (Catalyst Athletics) training at Mike's Gym
Points of Interest
Truly Independent
The production of the movie was truly a one-man operation. Greg Everett literally did every single thing: wrote, filmed, edited and even recorded original scoring. It was produced with no outside funding, with an unheard of budget of only $10,000, and is being distributed through Everett's own small business, Catalyst Athletics.
Women & Weightlifting
Weightlifting is often considered a masculine endeavor, but this film shows many female weightlifters who defy the public's misconception that female weightlifters must be huge and manly.
Filmmaker Bio
Greg Everett is the a 33-year-old owner of Catalyst Athletics in Sunnyvale, California, a facility that houses the gym for the Catalyst Athletics weightlifting team and fitness programs, and the other side of Catalyst Athletics that publishes and distributes books, DVDs, a monthly journal and other educational material for the sport of weightlifting. He is the author of the most popular book on the sport, Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches, and is a sought-after speaker internationally. In addition to being the head coach of a national-medalist team, Everett is also still a national-level competitive weightlifter who trained under coach Mike Burgener.
Cast Bios
Mike Burgener is a retired USA Weightlifting Senior International Coach who now is the head of the Olympic weightlifting certification program for the fitness juggernaut CrossFit, Inc. He has coaches multiple national champions, including his oldest son, Casey Burgener, the long-time number-one ranked weightlifter in the US.
John Thrush owns Thrush Sports Performance in Sumner, Washington, and head coach of the Calpians Weightlifting Team, winner of multiple national championships. Thrush was a lifter for the Air Force weightlifting team and coached Melanie Roach to the 2008 Olympics.
Jim Schmitz is the former own of the Sports Palace in San Francisco, one of the oldest and most legendary weightlifting gyms in the country. He has coached multiple Olympians, national champions and American record holders in his over 40 years in the sport.
Bob Takano is the coach of Phat Elvis Weightlifting Club, which was housed in various rooms on the Van Nuys High School campus for nearly the entire 30 years he worked there as a teacher. Takano coached Albert Hood to the 1984 Olympics.
Danny Camargo is the coach of Team Florida - Altamonte Springs and has produced many youth lifters who have gone on to the Olympic training centers in Colorado Springs and Northern Michigan University. He was in the first group of weightlifters to be selected for the resident athlete program at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and is a former junior American record holder.
Casey Burgener is a retired weightlifter who was a long-time resident of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He is a multiple-time national champion and international team member, and has held multiple junior American records. Questionable circumstances in the USA Weightlifting organization kept him from competing at the 2008 Olympics.
Natalie Burgener (Woolfolk) is a retired weightlifter who was a long-time resident of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. She is a multiple-time national champion and international team member, and has held multiple American records. Natalie competed in the 2008 Olympics.
Kevin Doherty is the coach of Hassle Free Barbell Club and a teacher at Lincoln High School in San Francisco, CA. His program in the high school has identified, recruited and produced numerous international-level weightlifters, including one of the current resident weightlifters at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (D'Angelo Osorio).
Paul Doherty is the coach of Hassle Free Barbell Club and a teacher at Sacramento High School in Sacramento, CA. Like his older brother Kevin, his program in the high school has identified, recruited and produced numerous international-level weightlifters, including one of the current resident weightlifters at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs (Donovan Ford).
Matt Foreman is a former weightlifter with the Calpians Weightlifting Team under coach John Thrush, reaching the level of competing at the Olympic trials. He is now a teacher and coach at Mountain View High School in Arizona.
Aimee Everett (Anaya) is a former national champion weightlifter and wife of Greg Everett. She trained under coach Mike Burgener for many years and now helps run Catalyst Athletics with her husband.
Rick Adams is the former CEO of USA Weightlifting.
Quotes on Making the Movie
"The production value is low. I knew it would be from the start. It necessarily reflects the state of weightlifting in the US. My hope is that the message and the content will make viewers forget it."
—Greg Everett
"I'm not a filmmaker. I don't know the first thing about making movies. But the movie needed to be made, and no one else was going to do it, so I did."
—Greg Everett
"It's the first movie about the sport, but I hope it won't be the last or the best. I hope it's a start, and it inspires people with far more talent than me to continue the story."
—Greg Everett
"I expect criticism from the film community. When we're done talking about that, we can talk about their accomplishments in the sport of weightlifting."
—Greg Everett
"I made this movie because I want to see the sport I love celebrated and recognized for what it is, and I happened to have just barely enough ability to pull it off."
—Greg Everett
"Ever tried editing audio in an active weightlifting gym? It's like... trying to edit audio in a weightlifting gym."
—Greg Everett
Full Credits
Written, Directed, Filmed, Edited & Produced by
Greg Everett
Interviews with
Mike Burgener
John Thrush
Jim Schmitz
Bob Takano
Danny Camargo
Kevin Doherty
Paul Doherty
Greg Everett
Matt Foreman
Rick Adams
Casey Burgener
Natalie Woolfolk
Jessica Salvaggio
Brian Wilhelm
Dr. Fran Curaming
Aimee Everett
Steve Pan
Dangelo Osorio
Photographs
University of Notre Dame
Steven Zeigman
Les Kernoodle
Greg Everett
Ashley Weber
Mike Burgener
Rob Macklem
Jim Schmitz
Josua Aylock
Gary Green
Danny Camargo
Tim Swords
Sean Waxman
Werksan USA
Jean Barrett Holloway, author of Weightlifting Rules, Poems & Photographs (2013, Tebot Bach Press)
Music
Original Score Greg Everett
Atlantean Twilight Kevin MacLeod
Julie's Tune Seismic Anamoly
Tear it Down Electric Frankenstein
Special Thanks
Irving Der
Mike Gray
Jacob Flint
Paul Gill
Kenny Triboletti
Joe Delago
All the coaches and lifters who took part in this film
Preview: Mike Burgener
Preview: Jim Schmitz
Preview: John Thrush
Preview: Danny Camargo
