FILM PREVIEW
A FILM BY
DANNY
MIZICKO
MAXIMO
ZOSIMO
DONATE
Over the past 4 years of filming the feature length documentary, filmmakers Zosimo Maximo and Danny Mizicko have self-funded the entire production on their own. They are now in the final stages of editing and need your help to get the project to the finish line.
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Your donations will be used for a critical part of the editing process, which includes hiring a composer, animator, sound designer, and color grader. It also will be used to hire actors for re-enactments, pay for licensed music and to secure archival footage. From the start of production, director Zosimo Maximo has called this a film for the community by the community recognizing that the making of this film would only be possible through everyone's support. The filmmakers thank you all for the love and kindness they've received throughout this process. In true Hiland Hawk fashion, you do whatever it takes until the final buzzer to get the job done. Let's finish this together and show the world the greatness of our friend Perry Reese, Jr.
If you prefer to send a check, please make it out to Angel in Amish Country, LLC and mail to:
Daniel Mizicko
PO Box 45
Vienna, OH 44473
ABOUT
On March 5, 2001 Sports Illustrated released “Higher Education” by acclaimed writer Gary Smith. The article highlighted the story of Perry Reese, Jr., an African-American high school basketball coach who won over the hearts of one of the largest Amish and Mennonite communities in America and changed their ideas about race and life forever.
At the time the article was released, Cambridge, Ohio native and All-Ohio point guard Zosimo (Jay) Maximo had just finished film school in Los Angeles. Being Coach Reese’s former ball boy at Guernsey Catholic Central - where Reese had started his high school head coaching career, Maximo had the idea to produce and direct a documentary film about Reese’s life. Inspired by the article, he reached out to Smith who pointed him in the direction of Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer had secured the rights of the article for a feature film and gave his blessing to Maximo to make the documentary.
Shortly after, Maximo landed a position as a director for MTV and shelved the Reese project for two decades. In 2020 and during a tumultuous time when the nation was quickly dividing, Maximo searched deep within to find a story that could help unite the country. He finally decided it was time to tell Reese’s story and invited his long-time collaborator Danny Mizicko to help produce, shoot and edit the film. Mizicko was working with the NBA in the film department when he got the call and it didn’t take long for him to decide to move back to Ohio and join the project.
In January of 2021, the filmmakers began production. Nearly 4 years later and capturing hundreds of hours of interviews and footage, the film is nearly done. The film has been independently produced by the filmmakers and will hit the film festival circuit in 2025 where they will be seeking world-wide distribution.
