Film coverage

Tim Gebard, a 1991 Wright State MBA graduate, produced “The Fall League,” documentary film on senior slow-pitch softball in Dayton.

Movies about a legendary jazz musician and a senior softball league are making a splash at film festivals around the country, with Wright State University alumni playing key roles.

Hannah Beachler, a 2005 graduate of Wright State’s motion pictures program, is production designer for “Miles Ahead,” which will be screened at the prestigious New York Film Festival on Oct 10.

Tim Gebard, who got his Master of Business Administration from Wright State in 1991, produced “The Fall League,” a documentary film that was screened last month at the 2015 Baseball Film Festival in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Directed by Don Cheadle, “Miles Ahead” is an American biographical film based on the life of jazz musician Miles Davis. It stars Cheadle, Emayatzy Corinealdi and Ewan McGregor.

Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop.

Hannah Beachler

While the “Miles Ahead” takes place in New York, it was filmed in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky. The film will close the New York Film Festival on its final day and later be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics.

“I’m excited to attend the premiere and see the final film for the first time,” Bleacher said. “I knew it was special, and it being chosen as the closing film — a coveted spot — says it all.”

Beachler said working on “Miles Ahead” was “fantastic” and quite an opportunity.

“Working with Don Cheadle as a director was amazing. He’s a brilliant visionary and creative force,” she said. “I loved delving into the different time periods and creating a film that Miles Davis himself would be proud to star in.”

Bleacher was also production designer for “Fruitvale Station,” which captured the top two prizes at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the premier showcase for independent film.

She is currently working as the production designer on “Moonlight,” an independent feature film in Miami being produced by Brad Pitts’ production company.

“The Fall League” was screened Sept. 26 at the Baseball Hall of Fame, which serves as the central point for the study of the history of baseball, displays baseball-related artifacts and exhibits and honors those who have excelled in the sport.

Twelve films were selected, mostly documentary-type movies, and all but “The Fall League” focused on players or issues related to Major League Baseball.

“The Fall League” is a poignant documentary film about seniors who find purpose on the softball diamond as part of the Dayton slow-pitch leagues. The title not only refers to the actual league but is also a metaphor for the autumn of one’s life.

Gebard, who attended the screening, called it very exciting. He said the hall of fame showcase provided a broader, international audience, added to the legacy aspect of the film and gave the production team credentials that may lead to other projects.

“We’re a good example of the democratization of filmmaking made possible by affordable technological advances in camera- and sound-capture as well as software,” he said.

“The Fall League” explores the impact of family relationships, the bonding and camaraderie between players and topics of aging. It also highlights military veterans in the league and examines the relationship between team sports and military experience.

It blends the commentary of experts Dr. Leon Speroff, a senior player himself and an advocate of the many benefits of slow-pitch for seniors; Dayton psychologist Kathy Platoni, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars; and Dennis Turner, slow-pitch manager for Louisville Slugger.

The film also features an original soundtrack composed by Gebard and recorded at Dean Vincent’s Studio D in New Carlisle, Ohio. The film and the soundtrack are now part of the collection at the hall of fame.