Hardface (2018)

For over thirty years, the Falcone family has run a boxing program for youth escaping life on the streets, hoping for a shot as professional fighters. Richard 'Hardface' Mason is the driving force behind this feature-length documentary as fighter-turned-trainer at Cincinnati's struggling Northside Boxing Gym. Shot on 16mm film, Hardface explores the enduring bond between fighter and trainer, providing an inside look at the amateur boxing experience. Two promising young fighters embark on the journey to become the gym's next champions. The past merges with the present through family archive footage and interviews, revealing why Falcone's fighters 'always come home.' Hardface follows David, 21 and Chris, 25, two amateur boxers, as they train to fight at the National PAL Boxing Tournament, continuing the legacy of the Northside Boxing Gym. The story begins six months before the PAL tournament as we are introduced to John Falcone, the founder of the gym as well as his wife Linda, who is in her own right a boxing guru. As the history of the gym unfolds, the road to the PAL tournament takes on greater meaning as perhaps the final chapter of a more than thirty year boxing legacy. With the boxing program in financial jeopardy, the PAL trip to California may be the last travel the program can afford. Northside Boxing is financed by weekend Bingo, however gradual downturn in attendance even has the Falcones concerned about the gym remaining viable altogether.