News & Events 2004-2005
Jeff Saunders ’88: On Independent Film Making
Jeff Saunders ’88 spoke at a special Society of Skeptics program on Friday evening, October 1. Following his successful career at Blair Academy, Jeff went on to Hobart as a political science major where he earned four letters in varsity soccer and set Hobart career records for goals (44), assists (26) and points (114). He shares the single-season marks for assists (12) and points (42). A two-time All-American, he is the only Statesman to be named to the NSCAA All-American first team. As a senior, Jeff served as team captain and was the leading scorer on the 1992 Hobart team that was 15-0-0 during the regular season, ranked No. 1 nationally in Division III, and earned Hobart soccer’s first invitation to the NCAA Division III Championships.
Following his graduation from Hobart, Saunders played semiprofessional soccer for teams in Hong Kong and Singapore after trying out for the U.S. professional team, the Buffalo Blizzards.
Jeff has followed up a great athletic career with an impressive professional career. He is the founder and director of Cinema Capital, a company he created in 1998. Cinema Capital is a film production and distribution company focused on independent films in both the United States and Europe. Previous to starting his own business, he was the executive vice president for Aviation X, as well as the vice president of marketing for SAAB Aircraft from 1994-1998. While with SAAB Aircraft, he was awarded the AirTransport World Gold Medal for his 1998 SAAB advertising campaign. Among Jeff’s passions is Vietnamese art, and among his achievements is the organization of a major exhibition for Vietnamese artists.
Jeff screened a portion of a partially completed documentary, “Goal Dreams,” a film about sport, identity and the search for a national home. Shooting in Lebanon and Gaza, the film depicts the Palestinian national soccer team as the backdrop for an in-depth look at four soccer players all dealing with both the constraints imposed by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the pressure of a World Cup series. Mr. Saunders also spoke about his odyssey from Blair Academy to the business world and, finally, to the world of producing and directing independent documentary film.
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