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Raise Up: The World is Our Gym

An underground urban fitness movement risks losing its identity as a social tool as it becomes the fastest growing international sport. A new hip-hop style of exercise in the parks and playground of New York City caught the eye of youth all over the world through the advent and use of social media. The subsequent global explosion created organizations, leagues, and hundreds of teams performing this so-called 'street workout' as a sport. But the Russians and Americans are at it again, as major stylistic differences along with opposing views for the future of the sport, block the path to global unity.

  • B. Rain Bennett
    Director
  • B. Rain Bennett
    Producer
  • Fred "Dr. G" Beasley
    Producer
  • David Iversen
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Sports, Cultural
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 18 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 15, 2016
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Equatorial Guinea, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, Spain, Taiwan
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - B. Rain Bennett

Rain Bennett is an independent documentary filmmaker who creates projects focused on cultural or social issues, food, music, art and health. Operating under his brand, Flying Flounder Productions, he writes, directs, and produces strong stories that touch the heart.

Since 2012, Bennett has been traveling the world telling the stories of the rapidly emerging Street Workout culture – a freestyle version of calisthenics that emerged in the parks and playgrounds of New York City in the early 2000’s. In the form of a feature documentary, he is the first in the world to introduce this global culture that is organized in over 80 countries, participated by millions, yet still unheard of by the average citizen. Through this journey, he has given public speeches in several countries, taught children the art of Street Workout, built workout parks for orphanages in developing countries, and produced video content for North American and European clients.

A native to coastal North Carolina, Bennett moved to New York City in 2010 and kept busy developing and producing short documentaries, creating powerful video projects for corporate clients, and freelancing for film and television shows. He briefly spent time at Deluxe Entertainment Services, a post-production facility serving the motion picture industry since 1915. There, he served as a Project Coordinator, acting as a liaison between the staff and the clients for some of the largest shows and movies shot in and around New York City.

Before moving to New York, Bennett and Flying Flounder Productions were based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Within the first few years after graduating from NC State University, his early work was award-winning and nationally broadcast. Most notably, he was nominated twice for regional Emmy Awards for his role on the Foundation for Biomedical Research’s TV series, Survivor Tales (now known as Bench to Bedside). Typically focusing on projects that served a social cause, Bennett established a strong reputation for working with non-profit organizations and continues that tradition today.

Rain Bennett currently resides back in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is submitting his film, Raise Up: The World is Our Gym to festivals around the country

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Director Statement

I traveled to over 15 countries all over the world with virtually no money to tell the story of the heart-touching fitness movement way before it was participated by millions of people. Watch the culture explode in this great story.