FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Theorem Media Leads National Release of Hail to the Breadstickst!

Documentary “Hail to the Breadsticks!” Explores Native American Mascot Debate Through Father-Son Journey

WESTPORT, CT, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Theorem Media is leading the national release of Hail to the Breadsticks! that includes a Sept 16th premiere on Kinema, Native American Heritage Month theatrical events, and a December nationwide TVOD release.

Theorem Media, a nonprofit distribution studio for independent film, today announced it is leading the national release of Hail to the Breadsticks!, a documentary directed by Donick Cary that examines the debate over Native American sports mascots through the lens of a father and son’s cross-country journey.

The film follows Cary and his young son, Otis, after Otis asks whether the name of the football team they root for together — a name passed down from Cary’s own father — is racist. The question leads the pair to conversations with more than 60 Native Americans, including former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo), Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Orange (Cheyenne, Arapaho), Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo (Seminole, Muscogee Creek), the late Graham Greene (Oneida), Taboo (Shoshone, Hopi, Mexican), Redbone’s Pat Vegas (Shoshone, Yoeme), Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa, Choctaw), Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe), Stevie Salas (Mescalero Apache), and Joey Clift (Cowlitz), among others. The film also includes appearances by Ice-T, Hank Azaria, Hari Kondabolu, and Washington football alumni Charles Mann and George Starke (African American, Mohawk).

Cary previously directed Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, which reached #1 overall on Netflix in 2020. His other credits include writing for The Simpsons and Late Show with David Letterman, and directing episodes of Parks and Recreation, Silicon Valley, and New Girl.

Release Details

The release begins September 16 on Kinema, where the film will be available to rent for $8.99. Organizations, with a particular focus on Native-led groups, may also book in-person screenings or virtual watch parties during an early-access window ahead of eventized theatrical screenings scheduled for National Native American Heritage Month in November. On December 1, the film expands to a wide transactional-video-on-demand release on Amazon, Apple TV, and additional platforms.

Hail to the Breadsticks! is the first film to move through Theorem Media’s expanded distribution pipeline following the studio’s recent acquisition of Portrait Creative Network. Seeing Red Media, an Indigenous-owned company founded by executive producer Bryan Porter (Mohawk), is leading social amplification and Indigenous creator outreach. FNX (First Nations Experience) has joined the release as a media partner.

Statements

“I made this film because my son asked me a question I couldn’t answer, and because a lot of Native people were generous enough to answer it for us,” said Cary. “We met so many cool people from all over Native America making this and are thrilled to share some of their stories.”

“We’ve been with Donick and this film since the editing phase, and we are excited it’s finally ready to share with the world,” said Douglas Dicconson, CEO and Trustee of Theorem Media. “The conversation this film inspires is big and interesting and thorny.”

“For Natives, this movie is cathartic and hilarious, but we already know we’re not cartoons or extinct,” said Joey Clift (Cowlitz), a consulting producer on the film. “It’s really for the guy in the jersey who never thought about it, and it gets to him by being funny instead of scolding.”

“Visibility does not matter without accessibility, and we are extremely excited to partner with Theorem to have this film release on FNX, a platform that our communities have free access to and trust,” said Frank Blanquet (Yucatec Maya), Station Manager, Television, FNX.

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HAIL TO THE BREADSTICKS! (United States, 90 minutes — English). Written and Directed by Donick Cary. Produced by Joshua Neuman. Executive Produced by Stevie Salas, Bryan Porter, and Jill Karp. Featuring Deb Haaland, Tommy Orange, Sterlin Harjo, Graham Greene, Taboo, Steven Paul Judd, Gregg Deal, PJ Vegas, Lindy Vision, Indigenous Enterprise, and Joey Clift, with Ice-T. hailtothebreadsticks.org

About Donick Cary.
Emmy-winning writer, producer, and director whose credits include The Simpsons, Parks and Recreation, Silicon Valley, and New Girl; former head writer, Late Show with David Letterman. His first documentary, Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics, premiered on Netflix in 2020.

About Seeing Red Media.
An Indigenous-owned media company based on Six Nations of the Grand River, amplifying established and emerging Indigenous storytellers to increase representation and cultural accuracy across media. weareseeingred.com

About FNX.
First Nations Experience is the first and only national broadcast television network in the U.S. exclusively devoted to Native American and World Indigenous content, spanning documentary, dramatic, and lifestyle programming. fnx.com

About Theorem Media.
Theorem Media builds audiences and creates revenue for independent films. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit uses audience research and social strategy, powered by its proprietary Networked Release Engine, to connect films with the communities already primed to want them. That demand then routes into theatrical, virtual, on-demand, and community releases, in partnership with rights holders and theatrical distributors. Theorem’s current slate includes Ivy Meeropol’s Ask E. Jean, presented by Abramorama and Impact Partners, produced by Laura Bickford and Annabelle Dunne, The Choice, directed by John Coles (House of Cards, Homeland), and Hail to the Breadsticks!, directed by Donick Cary (The Simpsons) and Little Walnut’s narrative feature, Tecie, timed to release alongside Moby’s world tour and new album. theoremmedia.org

Official trailer: https://youtu.be/kY3eeOvcgYI?si=g5clUOEENxCzKDGm
Direct link: https://kinema.com/films/hail-to-the-breadsticks-xodamk?watch=

Shannon Treusch
Falco Ink
theorem@falcoink.com

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Written By: EIN Presswire