Announcement Teaser for "Sally's Iron Mustangs" — A Documentary on Women's Senior Weightlifting

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Sally's Iron Mustangs: The Journey That Redefines Aging

I'm thrilled to announce the announcement teaser for my upcoming documentary, "Sally's Iron Mustangs" - a senior women's weightlifting documentary. This journey of making the movie has completely transformed my life. The story revolves around Sally, a 64-year-old bodybuilder who is coaching a group of senior women for a weightlifting competition, as she turns 65. Their story promises to inspire and challenge our perceptions of aging, strength, and mental wellness.

A Personal Quest for Healing and Transformation

During the isolating times of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself in a mental and emotional rut, wrestling with depression and sleepless nights. As an athlete and a filmmaker with a mission to create meaningful media, I was on a quest. I searched for a story that could uplift my health and spirit and resonate with my mother, who, at 55, was experiencing similar issues, along with many other people dealing with the complexities of aging and mental health. My search for a story ended when my paths crossed with Sally and her work at Bright Side Opportunities Center in Lancaster PA, and I felt a profound sense of knowing: her story changed people, and it was the change I was looking for.

A Senior Women's Weightlifting Documentary

"Sally's Iron Mustangs" follows the remarkable journey of Sally Winchell, a 64-year-old bodybuilder on a mission to elevate an entire community by crafting strength and nutrition programs tailored for women and seniors. The story follows Sally's Iron Mustangs, Winchell’s senior weightlifting team, preparing for Lancaster's annual Senior Games. The film takes an observational approach, allowing the story to unfold naturally. It unearths Sally and her Iron Mustangs' inner strength and courage.

The documentary was filmed in 2022 in Lancaster PA.

More Than Just a Film

I aim to screen "Sally's Iron Mustangs" on at least fifty USA screens, including film festivals, local and chain theaters, community centers, and religious institutions. I am actively seeking partnerships and sponsorships to help complete the film and ensure it reaches the audiences who need it most. If you are interested in becoming a part of this transformative journey, please email me at Abdullah@reelnationmedia.com for an exclusive look at the current cut of the film.

A Community Affair

Within the fall, logistics will be underway to collaborate with Bright Side Opportunities Center and various independent and chain theaters in Lancaster, PA, for the film's premiere. The choice of Lancaster is intentional; it's the home of Sally and her Iron Mustangs.

The Final Steps

The film is currently in the editing phase, with fine-cutting, test screenings, and original music scoring. I aim to release "Sally's Iron Mustangs" in early 2024, starting with screenings in Lancaster, PA.

I invite you to watch the announcement teaser and join earlier audiences in viewing the film when it is ready. To keep up with news on Sally’s Iron Mustangs, please visit its official page at www.reelnationmedia.com/sallysironmustangs and sign up as a free Reel Nation Media member to receive updates in your email inbox. Pre-ordering the film is also available for a limited time only. Pre-order audiences will be able to screen the film before the theatrical release, allowing them to be the very first to view the movie before any other audience group. Individuals and organizations can also request a screening local to their area and/or in facilities accessible to them.

An in-depth trailer is slated for Fall 2023, offering a full story overview of the film.

Preorder Sally's Iron Mustangs

For those eager to delve deeper, follow me on social media where I'll be sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses and updates on all my projects:

Reel Nation Media’s IG: https://instagram.com/reelnationmedia/

Reel Nation Media’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/ReelNationMedia/

Reel Nation Media’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/11025754

Abdullah’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/abdullah_abumahfouz/

Abdullah’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/adullah.abumahfouz

Abdullah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahabumahfouz/

Keep it Reel,

Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz

Director, "Sally's Iron Mustangs"

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ABOUT REEL NATION MEDIA

Reel Nation Media is an independent film production company owned and operated by director Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz. The brand focuses on “conscious media art,” authentic stories that heal its artists and audiences. Up next, Reel Nation Media aims to produce original films exploring personal strength and calling for empathy for the worldwide family displacement crisis.

Principal Photography Complete! - Sally’s Iron Mustangs

On May 12, 2022, principal photography was complete for Reel Nation Media’s upcoming documentary, Sally’s Iron Mustangs, a film directed by Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz. This milestone successfully transitioned the film to the editing phase of production, keeping it on schedule for a Summer 2022 festival release date. Audiences interested in seeing the film as soon as possible can pre-order a digital copy and/or sign up for a free Reel Nation Media membership to be notified of screening information.

I wanted to find a story that would help heal me, inspire me to reclaim my determination, and be relatable to the plenty of strangers, friends, and family sharing my struggles. - Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz

Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz (Director, left) and Sally Winchell (right)

From Principal Photography to Post-Production

Sally’s Iron Mustangs is a documentary film I began researching in December 2021 and filming in January 2022. The story follows Sally Winchell, an age-defying bodybuilder and nutrition buff, building her morning training group of senior women to revive their passion for well-being and compete in powerlifting. The last day of principal photography wrapped on Sally’s sixty-fifth birthday.

Adobe Inc. defines principal photography “as the creative execution phase of film production, sandwiched between pre-production and post-production.” For me, completing this phase on a documentary film means that the story has been captured and narrating it through film editing has begun. My plan for the next three months is to study all the footage, organize it into a compelling, well-paced story, arrange a moving soundtrack, test the film with audiences, and test the technical performance of the audio and video for distribution on various formats (theaters, smart devices, TVs, etc.).

Director Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz

Intentions and a Personal Process

Sally’s Iron Mustangs is being produced almost entirely on my own as it’s deeply personal to me. In November 2021, when I set out to search for the subject of my next documentary, I felt that I was at a low point in my life and attitude towards it, especially after the pandemic and failing to launch two web series. With those feelings, I wanted to find a story that would help heal me, inspire me to reclaim my determination, and be relatable to the plenty of strangers, friends, and family sharing my struggles. When I heard of Sally’s story through her husband, a great filmmaking friend, my intuition felt her endeavors would perfectly match my intuitions. My gut was correct; making a film about someone so transformational as Sally motivated me to recover my passion for my own well-being, strength, and overcoming challenges. Ultimately, I want audiences to be inspired by the character transformations and then choose to reclaim their own strength. If these older women can strive for uncanny goals for their own well-being, then maybe so should we.

Sally Winchell (bottom right) and her Iron Mustangs

Plans for Sharing the Adventure

Upon completing the editing process, my goal for distribution is to screen the film at least fifty domestic (USA) screens, including film festivals, local and chain theaters, community centers, and religious centers. Following the theatrical/festival release, I aim to make the film available worldwide on video-on-demand on platforms such as iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. Personally, presenting a film is a spiritual experience. I see it as providing a catharsis, an emotional release, through a window of empathy that has sacrificed months of myself to craft. My anticipation to see how audiences react to this incredible, personal story is sky high; it’s the reason I jump out of bed every morning.

Join the Adventure

To keep up with news on Sally’s Iron Mustangs, please visit its official page at www.reelnationmedia.com/sallysironmustangs and sign up as a free Reel Nation Media member to receive updates in your email inbox. Pre-ordering the film is also available for a limited time only. Pre-order audiences will be able to screen the film before the theatrical release, allowing them to be the very first to view the movie before any other audience group. Individuals and organizations can also request a screening local to their area and/or in facilities accessible to them. And finally, if you want a glimpse of behind-the-scenes footage and screenshots, please visit my social media profiles:

• Reel Nation Media IG: https://instagram.com/reelnationmedia/

• Reel Nation Media FB: https://www.facebook.com/ReelNationMedia/

• Reel Nation Media LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/11025754

• Abdullah’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/abdullah_abumahfouz/

• Abdullah’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/adullah.abumahfouz

• Abdullah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abdullahabumahfouz/

Keep it Reel!

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ABOUT REEL NATION MEDIA

Reel Nation Media is an independent film production company owned and operated by director Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz. The brand focuses on “conscious media art,” authentic stories that heal its artists and audiences. In 2022, Reel Nation Media aims to produce original short films exploring personal strength and calling for empathy for the worldwide family displacement crisis.

Now Available to Preorder - An Inspiring Character Documentary (Sally's Iron Mustangs)

Sally's Iron Mustangs, Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz's (my) latest documentary following the endeavors of a senior bodybuilder promoting strength for women in her community, is now available to preorder on Reel Nation Media's online store.

PREORDER: Sally's Iron Mustangs

Buy Now

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The Story

Sally Winchell, an age-defying bodybuilder and nutrition buff turning sixty-five, devotes herself to building health programs in Lancaster, PA, inspiring senior women to revive their passion for well-being and even compete in powerlifting.

Sally is the wellness center director at Bright Side Opportunities Center, a non-profit organization serving Lancaster, PA. The story launches when Sally challenges her core strength and conditioning class, "Sally's Iron Mustangs," to powerlift in the 2022 Senior Games, an annual sporting event. The close-knit senior women will have to dedicate themselves to Sally's intense routine to set new personal records. Amidst this journey, Sally scrambles to launch new health programs for her community almost single-handedly. As tasks pile on and the Senior Games approach, so does Sally's sixty-fifth birthday and the stress leading up to it. The film adopts an intimate, observational style, allowing audiences to witness each event as if they were joining Sally and her Iron Mustangs in discovering strength they never knew they possessed.

Sally (left) helps a woman stretch.

Why Preorders?

The short answer: preordering supports the making of the film and gives audiences exclusive access to view it before any other distribution window.

As I've done with Stand Up (2016) and The Pursuit of Refuge (2019), preorders allow me to earn capital to complete the making of my film while promising a product in return. Unlike most crowdfunding sites riddled with incomplete projects and undelivered promises, preorders are a safe way for audiences to support my work with no risk. I only practice accepting preorders when the film is on the verge of completion and will provide full refunds should anything go awry with the post-production.

For those who are eager to see the film, preordering is perfect; Unlike purchasing theater tickets and rentals, preorder audiences will have a copy of the film to keep indefinitely. Preorders also allow audiences to skip the wait! Reel Nation Media will directly send an exclusive digital copy to preorder customers before the movie even hits festivals and theaters. Preordering Sally's Iron Mustangs is also the earliest window to view it.

Audiences can preorder Sally's Iron Mustangs at this link: https://www.reelnationmedia.com/product-page/preorder-sally-s-iron-mustangs

PREORDER: Sally's Iron Mustangs

Buy Now

What to Expect

As of this article's publish date, 90% of Sally's Iron Mustangs is through production and will be submitted to film festivals and distribution platforms in June 2022. The summer is also when Sally's Iron Mustangs is expected to be available for preorder customers. Reel Nation Media will contact preorder customers via email, including a redemption code, once the film is made exclusively available for them on the Reel Nation Media website.

How to Get Involved

Visit the film's webpage to preorder the film, register for a screening, or read up on more details at this link: www.reelnationmedia.com/sallysironmustangs.

Visit the Official "Sally's Iron Mustangs" Web Page

For future details on the film and upcoming teaser-trailer kick-off event, interested audiences can become a member of Reel Nation Media for free. They will receive regular news updates and access to exclusive content.

Signing up for a membership can be done at https://www.reelnationmedia.com.

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ABOUT REEL NATION MEDIA Reel Nation Media is an independent film production company owned and operated by director Abdullah Abu-Mahfouz. The brand focuses on “conscious media art,” authentic stories that heal its artists and audiences. In 2022, Reel Nation Media aims to produce original short films exploring personal strength and calling for empathy for the worldwide family displacement crisis.