news-category: Campus News āThe Dancinā Bulldogsā Documentary Celebrates Five Years with Special GWU Screening By Office of University Communications On October 9, 2025 Alumni Filmmakers Return to Campus on Oct. 16 to Honor ĆŪ¶¹Ö±²„ās Historic NCAA Journey BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.āThe award-winning documentary, āThe Dancinā Bulldogs,ā is celebrating five years with a special anniversary screening at ĆŪ¶¹Ö±²„ University on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. in Stewart Hall at Tucker Student Center. The evening will feature a special introduction from the GWU alumni filmmaking crew and maybe a few special guests from that legendary 2019 GWU March Madness team. āThe Dancinā Bulldogs: A 16 Seedās Journey to the NCAA Tournament,ā debuted on YouTube on Oct. 16, 2020. The film was created by Christian Jessup, ā18, director and composer; Thomas Manning, ā22, writer and producer; Eli Hardin, ā18, writer and researcher; and Brendan Boylan, ā18, voiceover producer. The documentary follows the teamās and coaching staffās entire journey, from the early wins against NCAA powerhouses to heartbreaking losses, the tournament appearance and coming home after the loss to No. 1 seed Virginia. Also featured are several interviews with players, coaches and NCAA officials, and never-before-released footage of the teamās championship run. The Dancinā Bulldogs has earned several recognitions for its storytelling and connection to North Carolina. It was nominated for the Ken Hanke Memorial Tar Heel Award by the North Carolina Film Critics Association in 2020. In 2021, the film won āBest Documentaryā and āBest Original Music/Song/Scoreā from the Indie Eye Film Awards. It was also featured at the North Carolina Film Festival, where the filmmaking team received the āBest Filmmakersā award. Additionally, the documentary was honored as the āMost Inspirational Filmā by the Triumphant Film Series, part of the Raleigh Film and Art Festival. More information on the Dancinā Bulldogs can be found . This screening is made possible in part by the Department of Communication, Art & Design at GWU.Ā Auxiliary aids will be made available to persons with disabilities upon request 10 working days prior to the event. Please call 704-406-4270 or email [email protected] with your request. ĆŪ¶¹Ö±²„ University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to nine colleges and schools, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., ĆŪ¶¹Ö±²„ prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Learn more at . Clockwise from top left, Christian Jessup, Brendan Boylan, Thomas Manning and Eli Hardin in 2020 when the film debuted
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