Jeff Unay’s documentary and directorial feature debut The Cage Fighter that premiered earlier this year at the 2017 San Francisco International Film Festival has been acquired by Sundance Selects for release in the US.  It was written, directed and photographed by Jeff Unay.

The Cage Fighter is the story of a man in the fight of his life. Joe Carman is a blue-collar Washington State boilermaker and master plumber, a loving father and husband. Unable to cope with stresses at home, reeling from his wife’s recent illness and an ongoing custody battle, Joe escapes back into the fighting cage — the one place he’d promised never to set foot again. By trading his inner pain for physical blows, Joe struggles to heal himself and come to terms with his past. In the fighting cage, life’s problems are as simple as they are acute; but there, unlike in the real world, an old fighter can at least go down swinging.

“I am very excited that we are partnering with Sundance Selects to bring The Cage Fighter to the public,” said Jeff Unay, director. “Their prestigious label/brand of films coupled together with their penchant to distribute their films to the widest possible audience is extremely promising and very important to our film. We are proud to be part of the Sundance Selects family.”

“Jeff Unay’s impressive and beautiful debut unfolds like a narrative film in which the story of Joe Carman and his journey is portrayed with empathy and universal accessibility. We can’t wait to share his story with audiences across the country,” said Arianna Bocco, EVP of Acquisitions and Productions.