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My Sister Hali Documentary

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Hi, my name is Paul. I have been teaching at Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia for  29 years, NO LIE, but thats not my story. 

Before I was a professor in Graphic Design, before I was a father of two, before I was in art school, before I receive a degree in psychology, and before I was a college student, I was a gymnast and that’s a major part of my story.

I have been a gymnast since I was 6 years old and have an unbelievable story to tell. 

My movie is about the most amazing gymnastics story in America in the 1960’s which is virtually unknown to every one in the world! With your financial help we can finish this documentary and present it to the world!

This documentary is about a 13 year old gymnast who was about to set the world on fire in 1966! She was physical genius who was light years ahead of her time! 

THE TRUTH. 

At nine years old her coach was trying to have her compete with the USA Olympic team! 

IMAGINE THAT! 

This was the beginning of the brat pack gymnasts, the little kids taking over and out flipping the senior flippers. It’s hard to believe, that in the 1960’s the Olympic team was composed of women in college. This Hali Sheriff, barely in Jr. high school was really revolutionizing the sport of gymnastics before our very eyes.

That remarkable young gymnast was my sister Hali.

Part of this project was me going back to the little farming community of Blue Mound Illinois which I left 46 years prior. The documentary profiles my mother and coach, Ginny Sheriff,  and interviews my fellow teammates.  We talk about our intense gymnastics training when we were little kids and how that extraordinary past shaped us as adults. I not only talk to team mates, but I interview 3 time Olympic gymnastic legend Muriel Grossfeld and get her insight into what was going on in American gymnastics in the mid 1960’s, and of course her recollection of the phenominal gymnast named Hali. Man, this documentary is packed with incredible photos and historic videos. I am kind of resurrecting  a lost moment in Camelot, and you can help me do that.

Another main point. My story also is about coming to closure with a tragic past and being able to free myself from denial of that past. It is a bitter sweet story, one of immense accomplishment and undeniable loss. The story speaks to all who have sought to achieve the unachievable and all those who have struggled with navigating through this journey we call life.

So there you go, that’s what Paul has been up to for seven years and it’s all coming together right now! You can help me put this project to bed! With your financial help we can finish it, produce it, and make it FINITOOOO.

Hey, take a look at the website, mysisterhali.com and check out the trailer, interviews and book. You can go to Blurb.com and buy the movie companion book, My Sister Hali!

So, I am asking you to help me finish the project! My goal is to exhibit the film in film festivals, and also make it accessible to public TV, and market it on the website, mysisterhali.com.

Better yet! Reaching my financial goal will not only make the film editing, finishing, and production possible, it will establish a 4 year scholarship fund for a college female gymnast at Temple University. How good is that! So together, we create film which will truly enlighten and inspire and we will create a fund which will live on at Temple University in honor of my sister Hali.

Right now I am at the womans Olympic Trials in San Jose, California and we are kicking off this Go Fund Me campaign! I want to raise this money in two weeks. My intent is to finish this project when our women are standing on the podium in Rio de Janeiro! Please take a look at what has been going on with the project and help me achieve my financial goal. I look forward to sharing with you the emotional and incredibly poignant story which is, My Sister Hali.

Organizer

Paul Sheriff
Organizer
Cheltenham Township, PA

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