WEST OF GREATNESS is an experimental documentary + narrative feature film. It’s about two scrawny young men as they compete in a local bodybuilding competition. They have eight months to gain as much muscle as possible. At the competition, their gains, their posing ability, and their personality will determine who wins. The winner gets $15,000. This is their primary motivation. Win the cash and get the hell out of town.

Blending art with reality, WEST OF GREATNESS is doing something different. Our two leads are working with professional trainers, nutritionists, and other experts. You will witness the transformation of two scrawny men into fit and muscular competitors. The rest of the cast are real people that we will follow and get to know as they try their hardest to win the $15,000.

Our two main characters dedicate themselves to this foreign lifestyle. Set in the trenches of a dying river town, we explore their home lives, friendships, and struggles in and out of the gym. Our other characters are real competitors. Real people from the area, desperate to also win the competition.

What do you do when you try your hardest? When you stake your entire future on a risky bet and lose?

Our two young men don’t win. They don’t reach glory. This isn’t your typical sports film. This is for the losers.

Meet our two leads:

Jerome, a gregarious aspiring actor, always thinks of clever ways to move forward. He’s got two birds and one stone: Join the competition to get fit and sexy, a requirement for being a movie star, and win the 15k to move to Los Angeles with some pocket change.

Terry, a quiet and intense young man with dreams of working on an oil rig, is desperate to escape his irresponsible father. His goal? Win the money to buy a trailer so he can better take care of his sister with intellectual disabilities.

Director | Jared Cliff LaReau

Website | WestofGreatness.com