A Jamaican teen, burdened by an unstable father and an unruly older brother, hopes a meteoric rise in track-and-field can reunite him with his mother, who has lived illegally in the U.S. for over a decade. Starring Dale Elliott, Lorraine Toussaint and David Alan Grier, and an appearance by track superstar Usain Bolt. Executive produced by Jada and Will Smith.
Filmmaker statement I lost my mother somewhat unexpectedly, and way younger than I thought I would have. While trying to process that loss, I got to thinking about the thousands of children growing up in Jamaica and across the Caribbean without their mothers (or fathers) not because of death, but because of the lack of economic opportunities locally and the need for at least one parent to head north in search of work, oftentimes overstaying their visas and never being able to return home without risking the livelihood of their families. In Jamaica, these children are called “Barrel Pickney”, because of the barrels of clothes, food, and other essentials shipped to them from relatives living overseas. Sprinter is the story of a Barrel Pickney determined to run as fast as he can to reunite his broken family. -- Storm Saulter, Writer/Director
