The director will be at the Rainbow Theater for the world premiere of Offside: The Harold Ballard Story on Saturday, December 3 at 8:30 p.m.
Do you like the Toronto Maple Leafs? Or do you love to hate them?
Either way, a new documentary premiering at the Whistler Film Festival (WFF) on Saturday night, December 3, is likely to blow your mind.
Offside: The Harold Ballard Story Directed and narrated by Beverly Hills 90210 star, North Vancouver native and avid hockey fan, Jason Priestley. He will be at Whistler’s Rainbow Theater for the film’s world premiere on Saturday.
The 90-minute film is the first documentary to tell the story of the controversial Maple Leafs owner credited with running the NHL team — and the historic arena they played in, Maple Leaf Gardens — into the ground during his tenure, which ended with his death. in 1990.
Ballard gained a reputation as a go-getter known for prioritizing profit over product in the wake of the 1960s Maple Leaf dynasty that brought several Stanley Cups to Toronto. from installing smaller seats in the stands at Maple Leaf Gardens to star players looking for a raise. He also served prison terms for fraud, theft and tax evasion.
“As the film’s poster points out: Ballard didn’t invent greed. He perfected it,” reads the Whistler Film Festival description.
Priestley dug deep into the archives to find footage for the project, while recruiting sources such as hockey greats, Leafs managers and broadcasters to share their stories about Ballard.
But rather than highlighting his failings, “this insightful and comprehensive documentary” is said to paint a more nuanced picture of a man who tended to keep his significant philanthropic activities hidden from the public, according to WFF organizers.
Priestley, “uncovering some of the behind-the-scenes family secrets,” the description explains, “highlights what a fascinating and frustrating legacy of near-greatness Ballard and the Leafs left in their wake.”
Offside: The Harold Ballard StoryIt will have its world premiere at the Rainbow Theater on Saturday, December 3 at 8:30 p.m.
For more information or to purchase tickets, contact whistlerfilmfestival.com.
