SAN DIEGO — Riley is the coming-of-age story of a closeted high school football player discovering his identity. The story is strongly-based on writer, director and editor Benjamin Howard's high school years playing football.
"While I was playing, I was struggling internally with with my identity, with my sexuality," Howard said. "From some of that struggling came a lot of shame about who I was as a person, who I was as an athlete, even."
It's personal to Howard's life experiences, but also to San Diego. Howard said the film is like a love letter to his upbringing in East County. Some scenes in the film were located in places authentic to where the moments took place in Howard's life.
"We had a we shot a scene up at Mount Helix Park, where I used to take girls when I was in high school. I would take them on dates, and we would drive up there and kind of park the car and just like, look out into the city," Howard said.
Another person it's personal to is producer Tommy Anderson. He's known Howard since they were kids.
"I think Riley really represents just a very natural relationship that I had with Ben growing up, and that we got to experience making the movie together. I think that's something that I'll forever cherish," Anderson said.
Riley won eight awards at the San Diego Film Awards. It won Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Score and Best Editing.
"To quote the movie, when he cares about something, (Howard) wants to be the best at it, and he brings a lot of himself to it. It's really raw, really honest work," Jake Holley, lead actor in Riley said.
Another person proud of Howard is his dad, someone we all know at CBS 8.
“To see him recognized this way, couldn’t be prouder, no doubt about it,” CBS 8 sports anchor John Howard said.
John offered up his apartment for an entire month during filming for the cast and crew to stay at. A party scene in the film was also shot at John's place. He, along with CBS 8 sport anchors Jake and Marcus made a cameo as sports anchors in the beginning of the film.
"My film debut as an actor, although all I'm doing is what I do for a living," John said.
Riley is a film personal to Howard, Anderson, John, San Diego, CBS 8 and many more touched by the film.
"It'll strike a chord and it'll remind us all about those moments that we all had coming of age and finding connection and finding relationships and really finding meaning," Anderson said.
Howard said he hopes Riley will be available for streaming later this year or early next year. You can find more information about the film and upcoming screening dates here.
"To someone who was like I was 10 years ago when I was going through what I was going through, I kind of want them to see this movie, to see themselves, because I kind of made the movie that I needed to see, you know, about 10 or 15 years ago," Howard said. "And that's, you know, that kid back then was who I was writing this film for and trying to tell the story for."
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