Float

Winning a championship is everything in popular professional sports, as it often brings athletes fortune and fame. However, the sport at the heart of Float isn’t exactly pro, nor is it well-known. This intriguing documentary, with its stunning cinematography, chronicles the small but dedicated scene of competitive model aviation. While the modern world is obsessed with attention and speed, these devoted, unknown challengers like to take things slow. Patience is their true talent, coupled with unwavering passion. After all, they don’t make a dime competing, but instead deplete their savings to buy supplies. Call it obsession, but there’s something refreshing about their thankless allegiance to the sport. They spend countless hours designing and constructing their complex planes (F1Ds, to be more technical), which could easily pass for art. The detailing is as remarkable as their impressive ability to stay airborne for long periods of time. To see them all soaring at once is truly a sight to behold. At first glance, Float may seem like a niche documentary for model plane enthusiasts. But everyone can learn from the graceful simplicity, loyal camaraderie, and undying devotion these competitors exhibit. (Cleveland International Film Festival)