About the Director

Torin Jade Ives is a filmmaker focused on highlighting underrepresented narratives through documentary storytelling. With Call Them Athletes, Ives turns attention toward the evolving identity of modern competitors, exploring how athleticism extends beyond traditional definitions. Her work emphasizes authenticity, empowerment, and the importance of recognition within sports culture.

Through a grounded and observational approach, Ives captures the lived experiences of her subjects, allowing their voices to shape the narrative. The film reflects her interest in reframing conversations around identity, competition, and what it truly means to be called an athlete.

Director’s Statement

Torin Jade Ives describes Call Them Athletes as a deeply personal response to her own “ruining” experience as a collegiate dancer - an experience that, she explains, damaged her relationship with the art form both mentally and physically. Through the film, Ives confronts what she sees as a regulatory gap: dancers are often housed within athletic departments yet denied NCAA benefits, scholarships, and protections, leaving them to slip through the cracks of the system. She openly acknowledges her continued frustration with institutional inequities and hopes the documentary serves as the beginning of a larger conversation about equal treatment in collegiate sports. Reflecting its mission of representation, the film features an entirely female cast and was produced by a 100% female and non-binary crew.

Awards & Recognition

Despite starting as a simple class project, the film has gained significant traction on the 2024 festival circuit

• Southern Shorts Awards (2024): Winner of Best Student Film.

• DePaul University Premiere Film Festival: Winner of Best Media for Social Change.

• HollyShorts Film Festival: Official Selection at this Oscar-qualifying festival.

• New Media Film Festival: Official Selection and screening in Los Angeles.

• Interrobang Film Festival: Official Selection for the Des Moines-based festival.