Robert Kolodny's acclaimed boxing drama will be released in September

A premiere at last year's Venice Film Festival, it hits theaters next month. Robert Kolodny's feature film debut The featherweightwhich stars James Madio, Ruby Wolf, Keir Gilchrist, Stephen Lang, Ron Livingston, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Shari Albert and undefeated professional featherweight boxer Bruce Carrington, is based on the true story of the most successful American boxer in the history of the sport. Ahead of the release on September 20, the first trailer and a first teaser film have been released.

Here is the synopsis: “Set in Hartford, Connecticut in the mid-1960s, The Featherweight presents a gripping chapter in the true life story of Italian-American boxer Willie Pep, the most successful boxer of all time – who, in his mid-40s, down and out and with his personal life in shambles, decides to return to the ring, prompting a documentary film crew to enter his life. Carefully researched and constructed, the film is a haunting portrait of dissatisfaction with 20th century American masculinity, fame and self-perception.”

I said in my MoMI First Look preview: “Given the never-ending stream of biopics, especially those centered around the world of sports, it can often feel like there isn’t much new ground to explore. While Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw recently showed how a unique vision can elevate the genre, another film set partly in the Ring breathes new life into the biopic. Robert Kolodny, who was on the camera team of All the beauty and bloodshed And processionmakes his film debut with The featherweightwhich follows the comeback of exhausted boxer Willie Pep (James Madio), who is facing mounting pressures in his life from family and work. The film is shot with a grippingly raunchy conceit, as if a documentary film crew were following Pep's every move, including the boxer's confessions delivered directly to the camera. The venture forms a fascinating narrative bridge, and thanks to Adam Kolodny's grainy, '60s-style cinematography, it lets us experience every step of his journey.”

Check out the trailer and poster below.