Special Screening

The Fan Connection

Thursday, June 4, 2026 | 7:30pm

Little Theatre 1 (240 East Ave.)
Doors open at 7:00pm

Standard ticket prices
Tickets available online in advance, at our box office during open hours, or at the door (if tickets remain).

The Rust Belt city of Buffalo, NY yearns to reclaim its lost pride despite a growing sense of futility and cynicism after decades of decline. When a new owner buys their professional hockey team, the Buffalo Sabres, and promises a championship, Buffalonians see a path to their city’s relevance.

Throughout a season of unprecedented hopes, we meet a nonagenarian rehabbing from a serious fall, a young man with cerebral palsy determined to learn to drive after doubting himself for years, and a teenager struggling to find her identity while coping with the death of her father. As these fans overcome life’s struggles and cheer their team, ordinary citizens take responsibility for their city, refusing to wait for politicians or silver-bullet solutions to determine their future.

Combining archival material, interviews, and hand-held vérité footage, this 2020 documentary uses the stories of everyday Buffalonians to shed light on the larger story of why sports matter in a city seeking to rise from the ashes.

Post-film Q&A with filmmaker Mary Wall (Director, The Fan Connection) and Little-office-Sabres-fan Scott Pukos (Director of Communications, The Little)