The Barack and Michelle Obama-led production company Higher Ground has partnered on the documentary short “The Turnaround,” which will premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on Sept. 1. Barack and Michelle Obama, along with Higher Ground’s Vinnie Malhotra and Ethan Lewis, have joined the project as executive producers.

Directed by Kyle Thrash and Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot , “The Turnaround” chronicles the story of Philadelphia Phillies’ ardent fan Jon McCann, who helped spark an improbable 2023 standing ovation for Phillies shortstop Trea Turner, which helped turn the team's fortunes around after hitting a significant setback.

The doc is one of three short films in Telluride’s main program. Proudfoot has won two Academy Awards in the doc short category for “The Queen of Basketball” (2022) and “The Last Repair Shop” (2024).

In 2019, the former President and First Lady established Higher Ground and signed a content development agreement with Netflix. In June, Higher Ground expanded its creative partnership with Netflix. The production company currently has a multi-year agreement with Netflix for all of their film and television projects.

“The Turnaround,” which makes its world debut at Telluride on Sunday, spotlights McCann, a devoted Philadelphian grappling with mental health challenges. McCann is a Phillies commentator on his YouTube channel, where he's known as “The Philly Captain.” In 2022, after Trea Turner secured an 11-year, $300 million contract with the Phillies — one of the most lucrative deals in MLB history — he entered a period of personal struggle despite the city’s high expectations. As a result, fans turned against the player, vociferously booing Turner. In 2023, McCann, a resident of Philadelphia’s Bridesburg neighborhood, proposed giving Turner a standing ovation instead of jeering him. His suggestion gained widespread attention and inspired a 42,000-person ovation that shifted the trajectory of both Turner's performance and the Phillies’ overall game.

“Having grown up in the Philadelphia area and being a lifelong Phillies fan myself, I am impressed by how brilliantly Kyle and Ben have captured the spirit of the city,” says Malhotra, president of Higher Ground, “With such a distinctive and rarely seen perspective into a story that will be remembered in baseball annals, ‘The Turnaround’ will evoke a range of emotions and delves into the emotional core of mental health for both our beloved players and the legions of fans who passionately support them.”

In a joint statement, Thrash and Proudfoot added, “Jon’s story is a quintessential American narrative for our time. We all have a choice about how we engage with the world around us and its challenges. Do we choose to criticize? Or do we extend all the love we can? Jon’s decision inspired us to create this film.”

Proudfoot produced the short doc alongside Breakwater Studios’ Nicholas Ruff (“The Mad Whale”) and Josh Rosenberg (“The Last Repair Shop”). The film was edited by Dillon M. Hayes and photographed by David Bolen with an original score by Ari Balouzian. Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios – a DICK’S Sporting Goods company – and Major League Baseball are also behind the documentary.