Burn the Ships

The Akron Racers are the longest tenured team in the National Pro Fastpitch League - the country's only women's professional softball organization. Run by the super dedicated Joey Arietta, who manages the team like they're her family, the Racers keep getting close to the NPF championship only to fall short. Burn the Ships chronicles the team's 2015 season, giving us an all-access pass to the players' lives, the work that goes into keeping the team and the league alive, and the emotional balance between trying to live when you're not getting paid to do what you love. There's a bit of "A League of Their Own" in the lives of these girls - traveling the country to play in front of sparse crowds, wearing oodles of pink, playing fourth or fifth fiddle to the men, but always showing up on the field with positive attitudes that are infectious for all sports fans. While the Racers may not be household names, Burn the Ships will introduce us to underdogs who embody the Northeast Ohio spirit. (Cleveland International Film Festival)