Young documentary filmmakers pursue their dreams

Dreamchaser is the name of the documentary which premiered on Friday evening April 28. Just under a hundred guests saw in the De Nieuwe Bibliotheek cinema in Almere how Gino Akkerman tries to fulfill his American football dream.

The documentary was directed by Jason Akkerman, Gino’s brother, and Jaimy Moorman. What started as a study project by the two Almeerders soon turned into a much larger project, a serious documentary. “Dreamchaser is an inspiration to people who believe in their dreams,” says Jason Akkerman. “With this documentary, we really wanted to show that you have to go after your dreams,” adds Jaimy Moorman. “Go for it despite the setbacks.”

crowdfunding
The documentary was made possible thanks to a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than three thousand euros. “We were able to pay for the music and some technical issues and some of our travel costs from that.” Many contributors were seated in the room during the premiere.

Almere-born and raised 21-year-old Gino Akkerman’s ultimate dream is to play in the American Football League, the sport’s Walhalla in the United States. He came through but also had to deal with setbacks. A hamstring injury and a crown hampered his development. However, he does not give up on his dream. “I always dream bigger, I always go further. It’s who I am.

Talk show
After the premiere of the documentary, a talk show with the creators followed. They explained that what had started as a project for their studies had quickly turned into much more. And they also dream. “If Gino’s career goes well, maybe there will be a sequel, part 2,” his brother Jason said. “But it was already a success for us anyway, it was a first step for us to make documentaries. That’s what we want, we have now discovered it.

This post was created through a collaboration between 1Almere and Omroep Flevoland.