ESPN's '30 for 30' has put together a series of stories documenting 30 years of sports. "The Band That Wouldn't Die," about the Baltimore Colts Marching Band by Baltimore-born Hollywood Film Director Barry Levinson, premiers on Thursday night, October 13 at 11 p.m. on ESPN2.
NOTE: The Ravens have distributed a Press Release announcing a showing of the story at M&T Bank Stadium on it's huge SmartVision video boards on October 6th. See more on this after the "Jump."
For more on "The Band That Wouldn't Die" and the link to the Trailer, follow the "Jump"
Barry Levinson
In late March of 1984, a moving company secretly packed up the Baltimore Colts’ belongings and its fleet of vans snuck off in the darkness of the early morning. Leaving a city of deeply devoted fans in shock and disbelief. What caused owner Robert Irsay to turn his back on a town that was as closely linked to its team as any in the NFL? Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson, himself a long-standing Baltimore Colts fanatic, will probe that question in light of the changing relationship of sports to community. Through the eyes of members of the Colts Marching Band, Levinson will illustrate how a fan base copes with losing the team that it loves.
Click here for the link to the Trailer and more info on this documentary and it's Director.
For Immediate Release
The U.S. Premiere of "The Band that Wouldn’t Die"
The Baltimore Ravens and the Maryland Film Festival are proud to announce the United States premiere of "The Band That Wouldn’t Die," which will play Tuesday, Oct. 6, on the SMARTVISION boards at M&T Bank Stadium.
"It’s the perfect Maryland Film Festival event – fun and informal," Maryland Film Festival director Jed Dietz stated. "And, it features the most recent work of one of the greatest living filmmakers, Barry Levinson."
Levinson, the film’s creator and host of the event, is an Academy Award-winning director and Baltimore native. "I am thrilled to share this at M&T Stadium with the great Baltimore fans and our wonderful marching band," he said of the film, which recently debuted with much acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival. "All of us who worked on the film focused on capturing that very special Baltimore spirit that has always fascinated me and will certainly be present at this event."
The film depicts the story of a group of ordinary citizens, volunteers in the Baltimore Colts’ Marching Band, who kept the spirit of professional football alive in Baltimore after the franchise moved to Indianapolis in 1984. Perhaps even more extraordinary, when owner Art Modell created the Baltimore Ravens franchise in 1996, the Modell family fully embraced the city’s great football tradition. To this day, under new owner Steve Bisciotti, the team and M&T Bank finance the renewed Baltimore’s Marching Ravens.
"We have always been grateful that the Ravens’ ownership and management understand our passion and have made it possible for us to support our team," said longtime band director John Ziemann. "To have Barry Levinson chose to make this film – a great filmmaker and a fellow fan – is a dream come true. The fact that he is taking the time to host this premiere in person is beyond wonderful."
The premiere will open with a small performance from Baltimore’s Marching Ravens. Additionally, fans can watch the 53-minute film when it is scheduled to air on ESPN as part of the network’s "30 for 30" documentary project on Oct. 13.
To purchase premiere tickets ($5), fans can visit www.BaltimoreRavens.com/
Details for the premiere are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 6
Time: 6-8:30 p.m. (Gate A opens at 6 p.m.)
Location: M&T Bank Stadium
Parking: Free in Lot B/C
Price: $5 per ticket
(There will be open seating on the field. Please note that no chairs or food will be allowed. However, blankets and pillows are welcomed.)