"Sons of Ben" movie picks up Tokyo International Football Film Festival grand prize | SIDELINE

Fans: Sons of Ben (Image)

Half a world away, a movie about an MLS supporters group picked up a big honor last weekend.


"Sons of Ben," a documentary about the Philadelphia Union supporters group and their story of bringing an MLS team to their city, as well as life after the team arrived, won the grand prize at the 2015 Tokyo International Football Film Festival.


The chairman of the committee that selected prizes for the festival, Kiichiro Yanashita, said of "Sons of Ben," "The film paints a picture of the Sons of Ben’s change from the philosophically troubling 'supporters without a club' to finally having a team to call their own. It could be said that there is no love purer than supporters who literally willed a club into existence."


The film, directed by Jeff Bell, was also screened over the weekend at a film festival in Bilbao, Spain. Former US national team coach Bob Bradley watched the film there, as he happened to be in town with current club Stabaek.


For more information on the movie, you can follow its Twitter account, @SonsofBenMovie. You can also check out a trailer of the film below: