“We had a chance to make a new wave,” the producer of the film Sprinter Rob Maylor said. “We don’t get to tell stories like this. We don’t have ‘Napoleon Dynamites.’”

When Sprinter hits movie theaters, the safest thing to do is to expect the unexpected. This isn’t the cliche gangsta film packed with sage wisdom and action. This is a film that captures a culture that is seldom showcased in films that are supposed to capture Jamaican culture. Sprinter at its core is a film about growth, healing and family.

“We wanted to capture the modern Caribbean family,” Sprinter film director, Storm Saulter said. “There are a lot of underlying themes keeping families apart and we wanted to show that. The big part is knowing what you are running for.”

Sprinter follows Akeem, a 17-year-old Jamaican track athlete who is on track to qualify for the national youth team and go to the World Youth Championships in Los Angeles. Once there, Akeem hopes to reunite with his mother, who immigrated to the United States 10 years ago, with aspirations of providing a better life for her family.

The formula is a hit. The film received back-to-back wins, including best director, best narrative and the audience award at American Black Film Festival.