SPECIAL JURY MENTION BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY DIRECTOR - Tribeca Film Festival | OUTSTANDING BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DOCUMENTARY - News and Documentary Emmy Awards | GRAND JURY PRIZE DOCUMENTARY - Florida Film Festival
Sports • Cuban/U.S. Relations • Sports Economics • Legacies of Slavery • Immigration • Migrant TrailDate of Completion: 2021 | Run Time: 84 minutes | Language: English & Spanish with English & Spanish subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript & Study Guide (Coming Soon) | Directors: Sami Khan & Michael Gassert | Producer(s): Jonathan Miller, Michael Gassert & Sami Khan
Fleeing their homeland, three Cuban baseball players arrive in Costa Rica to showcase their skills for pro scouts. But when one of them is cut by their ruthless agent and evicted from the apartment, the others must decide if they can still trust the agent or if they should take the dangerous migrant trail north to the United States. Told with rawness and urgency, THE LAST OUT tells the very human story of people caught between countries who want nothing more than to make a better life for their families. Set against the backdrop of the dangerous Central American migrant trail, the film offers a rare window into the dark side of professional sports.
Educational Media Reviews Online | Reviewed by Matthew W. Rothfuss, Head of Reference, Bethlehem Area Public Library
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED "[T]he film represents a shining example [...] of the connection between sports and larger issues and would represent a worthy tool for anyone looking to discuss topics of immigration, migrancy, Latin American history, and the dark side of sports economics, among others."
Awards Radar | Shane Slater
“Taking audiences on an eventful journey, The Last Out is an eye-opening example of the intersection of sports, geopolitics and individual liberty.”
POV Magazine | Pat Mullen
“The Last Out is an invigorating and eye-opening portrait of the love for the game one needs to succeed, but, more significantly, a revealing snapshot of the challenges immigrants face in pursuing the American dream.”
WHATCULTURE | Motzie Dapul
2020's Most Unexpectedly Harrowing Documentary You Need To Watch
“The story of the charismatic Happy Oliveros, the admirable Victor Baró, and the fiery Carlos O. González is one that deserves to be seen by the world, to shine a light on the desperate fight of millions of immigrants in search of a better life.”
THE WORD | Gregory Morris
“...the film is a cinematic medley of history, personal histories, traditions, culture and politics, all superbly crafted together so that audiences will feel that they are flies-on-the-wall for the entire length of a film shot in dazzling cinéma vérité style.”
MEDIUM | Brad Schreiber
“...[The Last Out is] a memorable entry in the canon of docs on immigration.”
Midwest Film Journal | Evan Dossey
“The Last Out humanizes the people left behind as detritus in the economic landscape of big sports.”
AWARDS
Special Jury Mention Best New Documentary Director | Tribeca FF
Grand Jury Prize Documentary | Florida FF
Audience Award | Hot Springs DFF
Best Documentary | Buffalo IFF
Best Documentary | MISAFF
Best Cinematography | Centre FF
Best of Fest | Chagrin Documentary FF
Best Documentary Nominee | Indianapolis Film Journalists
Honorable Mention, Best Documentary of the Year | The Film Stage
Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary | News & Documentary Emmy® Awards
FESTIVALS
Tribeca FF (World Premiere)
Newburyport Doc Festival
Rooftop Films Summer Series
Heartland IFF
San Diego IFF
Hot Springs DFF
Victoria TX IFF
Naples IFF
Milwaukee IFF
Buffalo IFF
Virginia FF
Forest City FF
Seattle Latino FF
SWIFF
New Horizons IFF
Three Rivers FF
DOC NYC
Hainan FF
Cleveland IFF
Florida FF
Mountainfilm
Tribeca IFF
MISAFF
Middlebury NFF
Trinidad & Tobago FF
Guayaquil IFF
Chagrin Documentary FF
DocsMX
Bushwick FF