|
News Updates:
- April 2007 - Yuengling Brewing Company (www.yuengling.com)
The Producers of The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball are excited to announce their partnership with America's Oldest Brewery, and one of Philadelphia's most cherished legacy companies, the Yuengling Brewing Company!
Two great institutions. "Yuengling and the Palestra" both built and continue to survive on their unique Quality, Heritage and Traditions. We are honored and proud to be a partner by supporting this fine documentary, "The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball".
- Dick Yuengling, Owner
- April 17th, 2007 - Philadelphia Film Fesitval (www.phillyfests.com)
The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball was chosen to screen in the 16th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival, celebrating its US Premiere at the prestigious Prince Music Theater in downtown Philadelphia. Competing in the Documentary Traditions and Festival of Independents film categories, The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball emerges as a 2007 Festival Favorite!
"It brought tears to my eyes. Spectacular, spectacular job."
- Phil Martelli, St. Joe's Head Basketball Coach
- February 2007 - The Graham Company (www.GrahamCo.com)
The Producers of The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball are excited to announce their partnership with The Graham Company, a national leader in insurance brokerage and consulting!
We feel emotionally connected to "The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball." So many of our clients, friends, and families have fond memories of seeing basketball games at this most historic gymnasium. We wanted to be part of the team to help tell the story about our local treasure, and are very proud to support this wonderful documentary as presenting sponsors.
- Scott Kegler, The Graham Company
- May 26th - August 20th, 2006 - Constitution Center (www.constitutioncenter.org)
The Palestra is honored by the National Constitution Center
in downtown Philadelphia as part of the "Local Legends" series in the exhibit
"Breaking Records, Breaking Barriers." The promotional trailer for "The
Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball" was featured as part of the Palestra's
place in the exhibit
- Thursday, April 6th, 2006 - Philadelphia Sports HOF
(www.PhillyHOF.org)
The Palestra is honored by the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame as their very first venue enshrinement! Program featurette contributed by Writer/Producer/Director, Mikaelyn Austin
"On the superhighway of modern college basketball,
The Palestra may be just another gym at the end of a forgotten dirt road.
It's at the end of this beaten path, however, that a living time capsule
resides, waiting, with its doors wide open, to welcome you to step inside
and remember why you fell in love with a ball and a hoop."
- Wednesday, March 1st, 2006 - CSTV (www.CSTV.com)
Writer/Producer/Director, Mikaelyn Austin, goes on CSTV
(College Sports Television), a CBS owned network in New York, to talk
about the Palestra Documentary.
 |
The Philadelphia Daily News – “It's still international, but this year it's a Philly kind of fest"
Friday, April 6, 2007
The 2007 Philadelphia Film Festival is the most Phila-centric program yet...another doc - "The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball" - chronicles the legendary Penn venue...
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
Northeast Times, Philadelphia – “Building Memories"
Thursday, March 8, 2007
A masterpiece...The Palestra has been housing sports history for 80 years. And now, thanks to writer and director Mikaelyn Austin, this dynamic part of Philadelphia history will never be forgotten.
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
The
Philadelphia Inquirer – “Weekend Tip-Off Top 10 Topics - #6"
Sunday, December 4, 2006
Anybody who ever took a date to a Big Five game at the Palestra or sat behind the basket with a youth team will enjoy the just-completed documentary The Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball. The top-quality film by former Penn women's player Mikaelyn Austin has fine interviews and terrific old Palestra footage..."
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
The
Daily Pennsylvanian – “The Palestra, for reel - Documentary debut draws biggest names in Philadelphia hoops”
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Not for the first time, Temple coach Fran Dunphy took a seat a few places down from Drexel's Bruiser Flint for a night of Palestra basketball. This time, though, Dunphy cradled a half-eaten bag of popcorn.
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
|
 |
The
San Diego Union Tribune - "Diamond Gym"
Sunday, January 8, 2006
Austin's high school coach, Peggy Brose, recalls a talented
student-athlete with high hopes and great ambition. 'I remember
times when she would be sitting there just sketching and drawing,'
Brose said. 'She was extremely motivated. She always had an
overwhelming desire to be the best she could be no matter what.
She would stay after or come in early to work on her shot. She
excelled in everything.'
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
|
 |
The
Philadelphia Inquirer – “Capturing Palestra’s
Past on Film”
Sunday, December 4, 2006
‘You feel like you’re part of history every single
time you watch a game, Austin said, ‘Today, there’s
so much involved in the game, the money, the big arenas, the
tournament, the endorsements. Everybody gets so engrossed in
that. They forget why they really like the game. It’s
playing basketball. The Palestra is still here to kind of remind
us of that. We have to pass that on to another generation, so
it doesn’t just become another building.’
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
The Philadelphia Daily News - "50 Things on 50 Years of Big 5"
Monday, November 14, 2005
#25 – Greatest Palestra quote of all time: ‘Trying
to build another Palestra would be like trying to refilm Casablanca.’
View PDF : Back to Top
|
 |
The
Daily Pennsylvanian – “Ex-Penn Hoopster Making Strides
on Palestra Movie”
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
‘I have not had a single negative reception to it,’
she [Mikaelyn Austin] said…‘everybody I’ve
talked to thinks it’s a wonderful project – most
people are like, ‘I can’t believe nobody’s
done it.’
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
The Penn Current – “Putting the Palestra on Film”
February 10, 2005
The film, Austin says, will tell the history of the Palestra
and the great players who played there, as well as what the
building means to Philadelphia and how it helped make the game
of college basketball so popular, both here in Philadelphia
and nationwide. But the film will also take a look at how, once
the game hit the big time – college basketball today is
a billion-dollar industry – the Palestra, and the purity
it exemplifies, was pushed aside.
View PDF : Back to Top
|
 |
The
Pennsylvania Gazette – “Homage to a Cathedral of
Hoops”
November/December, 2004
‘The Palestra deserves the recognition of being the greatest
basketball gymnasium America has, or ever will know,’
says Austin, who is the film’s director and main producer.
‘It is, as the title of the documentary will assert, ‘The
Cathedral of Basketball.’
View PDF : Back to Top |
 |
The Daily Pennsylvanian – “Austin Directing Palestra
Documentary”
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Mikaelyn Austin may have moved on from the Penn women’s
basketball team, but her heart has not. The San Diego native
and Fine Arts major has been spending the last few months researching
and writing a documentary film on the history and traditions
of the Palestra, where she pent four years roaming the court
in a Quaker jersey. ‘This is really like the birthchild
of my love for the Palestra and my love for film,’ Austin
said.
View PDF : Back to Top
|
|
Press:
|
