Miami International Film Festival 2011

Before "Friday Night Lights," there was "Mooney vs Fowle" (aka "Football"), capturing the 1961 Florida State high school championship game. The title refers to the rival coaches Ottis Mooney of Miami High School vs Haywood Fowle of Edison High School, who led their teams before a crowd of 37,000 at the Orange Bowl. This classic documentary - now celebrating its 50th anniversary - has long been admired by film historians, but never released on home video. At the time of its original release, audiences weren't used to seeing such candid coverage. The filmmaking team of Drew Associates was revolutionizing how reality was portrayed on television in works such their accounts of John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail and inside the White House in "Primary" and "Crisis." Drew Associates was led to South Florida by LIFE Magazine editor-turned-filmmaker Jim Lipscomb who had attended Miami High. This unscripted look at the passions behind high school football stirred controversy at the time. Today it endures as a remarkable document of film history and Miami lore. - Thom Powers Followed by panel discussion with James Lipscomb, Director; Ottis Mooney, 1961 Miami High Football Coach; Jerry Pearson, 1961 Miami High Quarterback; Phil Tedder, 1961 Edison High Assistant Coach; Pete Kiernan, 1961 Edison High Quarterback; NBC Anchor Joe Rose; NBC Anchor Adam Kuperstein.