HERoic documentary to premiere at U of C

By Kristy Koehler, October 13 2018 —

The University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking will be the venue for the Calgary première of HERoic on Saturday, Oct. 20.

HERoic follows four diverse female athletes, all with ties to either Calgary or the surrounding area, on their incredible journeys. Among the four are Shruti Kotwal, India’s first female long- track speed skater, who trained at U of C’s Olympic Oval, as well as Sheena Kaine, a boxer from an Alberta Métis settlement.

Edmonton-based director Nicole Murphy created the film with a grant from StoryHive, a program that, with funding and promotion by Telus, helps British Columbia and Alberta filmmakers with financial backing and distribution for their projects.

“I was really lucky to get a grant from StoryHive to create a documentary series — it’s a web series about female athletes,” Murphy said.

Murphy’s company, East Anchor Productions, focuses on telling diverse and compelling tales. Murphy was previously the director and producer of Voluptuous Beauty, a story about a full-figured model overcoming adversity and discovering the true meaning of beauty.

“I like to tell really interesting stories,” Murphy said. “I empathize and am drawn into female stories … and I want to give them that stage. However, I am totally open to telling stories of any size, shape and gender.”

HERoic premiered in Edmonton in August. After the Calgary première, Murphy plans to take the show on the road.

“We want to tour a bit with this documentary,” Murphy said. There may be plans in the works to tour the film around smaller communities, including the Métis settlement where Kaine is from. Murphy has also been invited to bring the film to a Women’s Day event in March.

Tickets for the Oct. 20 screening are $15 and are available on Eventbrite. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m.