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The following was announced:
“SLOWBURN SHOOT: AN INDIE WRESTLING STORY” TO OPEN 9TH ANNUAL MYSTIC FILM FESTIVAL
The Raw Story of Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), Featuring Johnny Gargano, Britt Baker, Eddie Kingston, Nick Gage, Ethan Page and More, Kicks Off the 2026 Festival on Thursday, September 24
MYSTIC, CT (August 27, 2026) — The Mystic Film Festival announced today that Slowburn Shoot: An Indie Wrestling Story, the raw and unfiltered documentary chronicling Cleveland’s Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), will open the 9th Annual Mystic Film Festival, taking place September 24–27, 2026, in Mystic, Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island. The film will screen Thursday, September 24 at 6:30 PM at Mystic Luxury Cinemas, followed by the festival’s Opening Night Reception, with festivities running through 9:00 PM ET.
Tickets for the Opening Night screening and reception are now available at: https://mysticfilmfestival2026.eventive.org/schedule/6a8cd735b8c1e8b180df2c8f
Following its world premiere at the 2026 Cleveland International Film Festival, Slowburn Shoot: An Indie Wrestling Story embarked on a seven-city theatrical roadshow, bringing the film directly to wrestling fans across the country. The documentary now arrives at Mystic as the festival’s Opening Night selection, celebrating independent wrestling, the people who built it, and the community that continues to sustain it.
Directed by Adam J. Wilde and produced by Wilde, Ryan J. Kelly and Geoff Yaw of Substance, Slowburn Shoot: An Indie Wrestling Story is an unvarnished look at AIW, the Cleveland-based indie promotion that has served as a proving ground for rising stars and veteran talent alike.
Chronicling the trials and tribulations of founder John Thorne and his late co-owner Chandler Biggins, the film captures more than 20 years of grit, ambition, sacrifice, and community that helped AIW become a fixture of the independent wrestling landscape and a launching pad for some of the industry’s biggest names. Told through the voices of the wrestlers and personalities who lived it, the documentary explores both the triumphs and hardships behind keeping an independent wrestling promotion alive.
The film features appearances by key figures from across the wrestling world, including Johnny Gargano, Britt Baker, Eddie Kingston, Nick Gage, Ethan Page, Tom Lawlor, Swoggle, Chris Van Vliet, and John Thorne, among others.
“This film started as a love letter to indie wrestling, but it quickly became something deeper: a reflection of the people who give everything to it,” said director Adam J. Wilde. “After premiering at the Cleveland International Film Festival and taking the film on the road, bringing it to Mystic feels like a natural next chapter. At its core, this is a story about independent artists building something from the ground up, taking risks, and creating a community around what they love. We can’t wait to share that story with the Mystic Film Festival audience.”
“Slowburn Shoot: An Indie Wrestling Story is an incredibly moving film that goes far beyond the wrestling ring,” said Shareen Anderson, Founder of the Mystic Film Festival. “At its heart, it’s about friendship, perseverance, loss, and the extraordinary community that can grow around a shared passion. It captures so much of what we look for at Mystic, independent storytellers who pour everything they have into what they love. We couldn’t think of a more fitting film to open our ninth annual festival and bring our community together on Opening Night.”
For more information about Slowburn Shoot: An Indie Wrestling Story, visit slowburnshootfilm.com and follow the film on Instagram at @slowburnshoot.
ABOUT MYSTIC FILM FESTIVAL
Mystic Film Festival is a grassroots celebration of independent filmmaking that brings together storytellers, artists, and audiences in a shared love of cinema. Showcasing feature-length and short narrative films and documentaries from around the world, the festival creates a space where diverse voices can be heard, and meaningful conversations can take root. Through screenings, filmmaker Q&As, workshops, and community events, the festival aims to connect people through the power of story and the craft of filmmaking.
Now in its ninth year, the festival will take place September 24–27, 2026, across venues in Mystic, Connecticut, and Westerly, Rhode Island. Its cornerstone venue, Mystic Luxury Cinemas in Olde Mistick Village, hosts Opening Night, which proudly features films made by local filmmakers and celebrates the talent within the community. The festival closes with its annual Awards Celebration, honoring standout independent films in every category. This year, the festival is expanding its submission categories to welcome an even wider range of stories and filmmakers.
Founded by local filmmakers and artists, Mystic Film Festival was created to nurture New England talent, champion films made in Connecticut and bring unique independent voices from around the world to its coastal community.
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