Pickleball Feature Film Sponsored by Selkirk Sport

John Paul the Great Catholic University is pleased to announce that Pickle for Pickleball, the third project in our Feature Film Program, is supported by an exclusive sponsorship by Selkirk Sport. Selkirk is “the market leader in pickleball paddle innovation and technology” and has provided paddles, court apparel, and nets for use in the film.

“From the very beginning of planning this film, we knew partnering with a pickleball brand was going to be essential,” said producer Kaitlyn Krikorian. “Ask any pickleball player—Selkirk is synonymous with the sport. We're thrilled they recognized the potential of this movie and chose to come onboard.”

Students and faculty began production today in the San Diego area, and will continue until July 3rd. The sports comedy is about disgraced councilwoman Ethel Wilton, who finds herself at the center of a pickleball conspiracy and decides the only way to save her city is to stop the citywide pickleball tournament with the help of unlikely friends.

The concept was originally pitched by screenwriting student Anna Engel at the Feature Film Pitch Night in November 2023. Over the winter quarter, scripts from the Pitch Night underwent further story development as part of the “Feature Film: Rewriting” course. Throughout this process, faculty assessed the scripts on factors such as producibility, casting, production design, the student experience, and the strength of the scripts, ultimately greenlighting Pickle for Pickleball in April 2024.

A Proof of Concept was produced in summer 2024 as a tool to attract investors and talent to the project, and since then students have been busy preparing to produce the full feature with courses such as “ Feature Film Pre-Production” and “Set Building & Prop Making.”

Now an alumna, Engel is co-directing the film with Prof. George Simon. “I never expected that an idea I had during an introductory screenwriting course would be produced as an actual feature film four years later! The opportunity to pitch your movie to professionals and receive immediate feedback is an experience that is hard to come by,” she said.

JPCatholic’s Feature Film Program was launched by Prof. Simon in 2021 to provide a unique hands-on opportunity where students collaborate with faculty to write, pitch, create, and distribute full-length movies. The first film O, Brawling Love! is currently available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, and the second project No Reception will be released on streaming this year.

Additional Extras Needed!

Slots are available for extras (all ages) on multiple production dates in Escondido, Ramona, and La Mesa. If you are interested, please sign up here.

Follow the film on Instagram: @pickleforpickleball