Paige Pierce’s Trailblazing Disc Golf Legacy is “Fierce”

The global Disc Golf phenomenon erupted after the pandemic and so followed a compelling documentary on what of the Disc Golf standout talents in “Fierce: A Disc Golf Story.” The film follows the remarkable journey of Paige Pierce, a determined athlete aiming to make history as the first 6-time world champion disc golfer.

The documentary delves into Pierce’s 2021 season, capturing not only her pursuit of athletic excellence but also her role as a champion for women in sports. In a conservative community, Pierce grapples with the challenges of acceptance as an openly gay player. With millions in sponsorship hanging in the balance, the stakes have never been higher for this fierce competitor.

Behind the scenes, the documentary is crafted by a dedicated crew, including director Wilson Hansen, Producer Gabe Casdorph, Megan Hansen, Nate Sorenson, and Jarom Cowan. The story’s origin comes from a pitch by Paige Pierce herself, who envisioned a film exploring the broader world of disc golf. However, it was her personal journey that became the core of the narrative.

For Wilson Hansen, the journey was both exhilarating and challenging. With limited pre-production time, the crew found themselves playing catch-up as the season had already commenced when they accepted the project. Yet, this tight timeline didn’t dampen the excitement of attending events, shadowing Pierce in her element, and meeting the vibrant characters that make up the nomadic disc golf community.

Reflecting on the experience, Wilson Hansen acknowledges the learning curve regarding the post-production phase, emphasizing the importance of distribution and marketing.

“Knowing how much can be done during production and pre production to make that process more effective is going to change my filmmaking strategy going forward. For an independent film, pressing export is really only step one of one hundred.”

When asked about advice for aspiring filmmakers, Wilson Hansen says “GO! volunteer, find filmmaker groups, make friends, see what you like and don’t like about the process. Spend some time on set, learn who is in charge, learn everything you can, and eventually you’ll get a good idea of if any path is the right one for you.”

“Fierce” takes its place among the official selections of the Utah International Film Festival, scheduled for February 12-17 at Maven Cinema in American Fork, UT.