DULUTH — "Hockeyland," a documentary feature that follows two Northland high school hockey teams through the 2019-20 season, will open in Minnesota movie theaters Sept. 9.
The film follows boys hockey players from Hermantown and Eveleth-Gilbert. It previously had premiere screenings in Minnesota theaters in February, and it's also been featured in several national documentary film festivals. A dozen Minnesota theaters, including the Hibbing Cinema 8 and Virginia's Cinema 6, have confirmed bookings starting Sept. 9. Later in September, the release will expand to other cities in the Midwest and ultimately elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada.
"Hockeyland" was directed by Tommy Haines, who co-produced the film with JT Haines (his brother) and Andrew Sherburne. Their company, Northland Films, is billing "Hockeyland" as the third feature in a trilogy of hockey movies including a 2008 pond hockey feature and a 2010 film about the U.S. hockey team that won gold in the 1960 Winter Olympics. Tommy and JT Haines grew up playing hockey in Mountain Iron.
The film is being distributed by Greenwich Entertainment, the company that also brought the Oscar-winning documentary "Free Solo" to theaters. "Their proven track record with action-oriented documentaries and art house audiences is a perfect combination for an observational coming-of-age hockey story," said Tommy Haines in a statement.
Critics have compared "Hockeyland" to "Hoosiers" and "Friday Night Lights." Writing in The Guardian, Dave Caldwell observed that "the film hammers home the fact that it is mighty cold during hockey season in northern Minnesota, with plenty of overhead shots of remote woodland, with bare tree limbs black next to the fallen snow on the ground. Best to watch this film in front of a fire."
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