Certain to provoke and fascinate in equal measure, commercial and music video director Todd Kellstein turns the camera to child boxing in Thailand for his feature documentary debut, "Buffalo Girl," and it's sure to be one that will have many folks talking.
Kicking off at Slamdance in January, before hitting a variety of film festivals throughout the year, the film chronicles the story of two seemingly ordinary 8 year-old girls, Stam and Pet, who are also prize-winning Muay Thai fighters. They are part of a circuit of underground child boxing in the country that has up to 30,000 participants. In an impoverished nation, it's often one of the few ways for families to earn money, though for quite obvious reasons, it's controversial. They train rigorously, and endure fights that leave them with broken bones and bloody noses, while Kellstein hopes that viewers take away a larger perspective about economic inequalities that allow this sort of sport to thrive.
"Buffalo Girls" opens in New York City at the IFC Center on Wednesday, November 14th, lands in Los Angeles on December 7th, and will roll out across the country afterward. Check out the exclusive poster for the film below along with the trailer.