Filmmaker’s Documentaries Showcase Black Athletes

Former Football player and football coach Roy Curry is the subject of the documentary, “Always A Winner: Roy Curry.” The documentary created by local filmmaker Alvin Daniels was shown at Wayfarer Theaters recently. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SILVERMAN GROUP.
Former Football player and football coach Roy Curry is the subject of the documentary, “Always A Winner: Roy Curry.” The documentary created by local filmmaker Alvin Daniels was shown at Wayfarer Theaters recently. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SILVERMAN GROUP.

Filmmaker’s Documentaries Showcase Black Athletes

By Tia Carol Jones

Alvin Daniels’ work is chosen for him. His hashtag for this year has been God’s timing is impeccable. Daniels is a Filmmaker, Film Studies Professor at Chicago State University and CEO of Halsted Studios. His documentaries, “Always A Winner: Roy Curry” and “Redemption: The Johnny Fort Story,” were shown at the Wayfarer Theaters recently.

Wayfarer Theaters, located in Highland Park, Ill., has been curating special screenings of diverse films, with the goal of creating opportunities for conversations. It opened its doors in May 2024, after major renovations.

“Part of our mission is to show films that bring hope, positivity and light to the world. We really focus on messaging that is about uniting, uplifting and inspiring individuals,” said Clay Stamper, General Manager of Wayfarer Theaters.

Wayfarer Theaters carries out its mission in the way it curates the films it shows. Wayfarer Theaters Founder Steve Sarowitz started it with the idea of using the platform and using its capabilities to support local filmmakers. The goal is to give filmmakers a fair opportunity to have their projects exhibited in a way that shows their efforts.

Stamper said it has been great to share Daniels’ work with residents on the North Shore. He said it has been a nice exchange of ideas and goods, which has been good for the community.

“The overall goal is to really show that we are all one and start to expand on the whole idea of diversity and the very beautiful concept that it is, with different stories, different cultures, different people aligning to share commonality and common threads of experience,” Stamper said. He said that is how people grow individually and as a community.

Daniels was told by a friend that he should do a documentary about Johnny Fort. Fort was a point guard in the 1980s and his life took a turn. The documentary goes into his life from  past to present. A writer saw the Johnny Fort documentary and reached out to Daniels for help on the Roy Curry documentary. Curry is a former football player who played for Jackson State University and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both documentaries premiered at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.

Fort said it is an honor to be remembered and have someone do a documentary about his life. He said he believes his story can be very helpful for other people who might be facing the same things he faced. Curry said coming from the cotton fields of Mississippi to playing professional football and coaching children in the city, it is a great story. Curry said the documentary does a great job of telling his story.

“It was like a surreal feeling to have people come out to support the film. Sometimes you don’t know that you really matter until you see it with your own eyes,” Fort said. He said it was overwhelming to see people take their time to see something that represented him.

Daniels said the lives of Fort and Curry have been a blessing to the community. He has been talking to people who want to see a part two, part three and part four of the documentaries. Being able to show African Americans in a positive light in a theater like Wayfarer in Highland Park, which isn’t known for its diversity, is very important to Daniels. He is currently working on a documentary about kindness and has some insights on the subject.

“I think the reason why we can’t be kind to each other is because we don’t understand each other. So, the more you’re exposed to my life and I’m exposed to your life, I can extend you some grace, you can extend me some grace and we can be in a lot better space,” he said.

Daniels said he hopes that people takeaway from the documentaries that Black people have many sides and have made great contributions to this country. He also wants people to take away insights about the human spirit.

For more information about Wayfarer Theaters, visit wayfarertheaters.com.

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