MIFF’s Duffy produces ‘More than a Cowboy’ on Amazon

In just under three weeks, 36-year-old MMA fighter Donald Cerrone will go into the Octagon for the UFC welterweight match of his career. On January 18 in Las Vegas, Cerrone, better known as “Cowboy,” will go up against Conor McGregor.

This is the kind of fight where legends are born.

What’s at stake for Cerrone, is redemption following two straight losses. A win moves him one step closer to a title shot. If you’ve ever wondered what goes through Cowboy’s mind weeks before a high-stakes fight like this, you’re in luck.

The new limited docuseries, More than a Cowboy has premiered on streamer Amazon Prime. It’s produced by Camera Ambassador Managing Partner and newly appointed Midwest Independent Film Festival Executive Director Erica Duffy along with Logan Stone and Brandon Werlin.

Directed by James Lloyd McKinney, More Than a Cowboy explores Cerrone’s seventeen-year history as a fighter. The series features interviews with Cerrone, his coaches and his family, and provides an inside look into his unorthodox training methods.

“MMA is a world that, despite its popularity, still has so much unknown around it.” said director McKinney. “When it comes to the lives of these athletes and the preparation it takes to actually lock yourself in a cage with another human being and say, ‘alright we’re going to fight,’ there’s a
lot we as fans haven’t seen that we are hungry for. More Than A Cowboy is our chance to dive into that world outside of the octagon and see that preparation at the highest level with not just a UFC fighter, but one of the best fighters of all time.”

Head coach, Jafari Vanier, is confident in Cerrone’s ability to dominate the octagon. “If I look at the two, he’s got a lot more to worry about than we do,” says Vanier. “We’ve got multiple submission victories, head kick knockout victories…we just have to worry about a left hand and that first round.”

Watch the exciting trailer below:

ALSO READ: Disney+ adds ‘WandaVision,’ ditches ‘Home Alone’

An excited Duffy posted on her Instagram, “It’s been an incredible honor producing, More Than A Cowboy with @cowboycerrone and the gang in New Mexico! I’m really proud of this work and it would mean the world if you checked it out!”

You can purchase the first two episodes of More than a Cowboy on Amazon Prime Video here.

What’s Streaming This Week?

Here’s what’s available to stream the first week of 2020. And yes, Friends is gone from Netflix. They’ll be back on HBOMAX later this year.

SPINNING OUT: Debut drama series starring Kaya Scodelario as an Olympic figure skating hopeful who’s facing personal struggles both on and off the ice. January Jones and champion figure skater Johnny Weir co-star. [Netflix]

MESSIAH: Freshman thriller series starring Mehdi Dehbi as a man who grows an international following after claiming to be Jesus reborn. Tomer Sisley, Michelle Monaghan, and John Ortiz co-star. Husband-and-wife team Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are on board as executive producers. [Netflix]

THE CIRCLE: US remake of a popular British reality competition series, which is sort of like “Big Brother” crossed with “Catfish.” Contestants all move into the same apartment building but communicate exclusively via a social media app, never meeting in person, thus giving them the opportunity to lie to opponents about their real identities. [Netflix]

SEX, EXPLAINED: The latest docu-series spin-off of Vox Media’s “explainer” videos turns its attention to all aspects of human sexuality, from the biology of attraction to the history of birth control. Janelle Monae narrates. [Netflix]

THE DEGENERATES: The stand-up showcase – featuring comics who specialize in coarse or off-color jokes – is back with six new episodes starring Nikki Glaser, Adrienne Iapalucci, Robert Kelly, Ms. Pat, Jim Norton, and Donnell Rawlings. [Netflix]

ALEXA & KATIE: The teen sitcom, about two lifelong friends whose lives are changed when one of them begins cancer treatment, returns for a third season that kicks off with a special holiday episode. [Netflix]

THIEVES OF THE WOOD: 10-part historical drama series from The Netherlands about charismatic highwayman Jan de Lichte (Matteo Simoni), who leads a revolt against the aristocracy in 18th Century Flanders. [Netflix]

THE DISASTROUS LIFE OF SAIKI K.: REAWAKENED: Netflix’s new anime series continues the story of Disastrous Life of Saiki K., which started as a comedy manga before becoming a series of animated shorts and, finally, a live-action 2017 film. The series follows a high school student who develops a number of psychic abilities, including telepathy and teleportation but still tries to lead a normal life. [Netflix]

THE NEIGHBOR: Freshman comedy series from Spain, about a slovenly, self-centered man (Quim Gutiérrez) who becomes a superhero with the assistance of his friendly neighbor. It’s based on a real comic book series, El Vecino, by Santiago García and Pepo Pérez. [Netflix]

YANXI PALACE: PRINCESS ADVENTURES: This new six-episode series picks up the action from the hit 2018 Chinese period drama series “Story of Yanxi Palace,” which streamed on that country’s iQiyi platform. [Netflix]

GHOST STORIES: The Indian directors behind the anthologies “Bombay Talkies” and “Lust Stories” return with this collection of four new horror shorts. [Netflix]

PARTY OF FIVE: Freeform’s debut teen drama is a reboot of the popular ’90s Fox series. In the update, the five Acosta children must fend for themselves after their parents are deported to Mexico. The new season begins on Freeform on January 8; the pilot is up early on Hulu. [Hulu]

DEPUTY: Fox’s new Western-inspired crime drama stars Stephen Dorff as a fifth-generation lawman who becomes the new Los Angeles County Sheriff due to an antiquated law that’s somehow still on the books. New episodes will air on Fox on Thursdays and hit Hulu on Fridays, but the pilot has also gone up early. [Hulu]

RAISE HELL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS: This 2019 feature documentary profiles the celebrated Texas political journalist and “media firebrand” who passed away in 2007. [Hulu]

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT: Season 8 of the reality series, in which couples who were paired by relationship experts immediately tie the knot upon meeting, aired on Lifetime in early 2019, and hits Hulu this week. [Hulu]

PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS: The seventh season of the “Project Runway” spin-off debuted early last year on Lifetime. Alyssa Milano returns as host, with judges Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi. [Hulu]

HOARDERS: The A&E/Lifetime reality series profiles individuals who struggle with compulsive hoarding disorder as they receive counseling and assistance from a therapist or professional organizer. The 10th season is now streaming on Hulu. [Hulu]

GLAM MASTERS: Make-up artists compete in head-to-head challenges in Lifetime’s reality competition series, hosted by “Orange is the New Black” star Laverne Cox and executive produced by Kim Kardashian West. Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu. [Hulu]

MAKING A MODEL WITH YOLANDA HADID: Another Lifetime reality competition series, this one finds former model and “Real Housewives” star Yolanda Hadid prepping aspiring teens for weekly challenges (along with her famous offspring, Gigi, Bella, and Anwar). [Hulu]

HUNTING JONBENÉT’S KILLER: 2019 documentary, which aired as part of A&E’s “The Untold Story” series, taking a fresh look at the infamous 1996 murder of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey. [Hulu]

SECRET LIFE OF A GANG GIRL: A&E “Untold Story” episode investigating how social media can become a platform for gang activity. [Hulu]

PAVAROTTI: Ron Howard directed this feature documentary, which profiles the iconic opera singer, and features rare interviews with his family and colleagues. [Showtime]

BREAKTHROUGH: Drama feature, based on the Christian book “The Impossible,” about a teenager in St. Louis who survives after being trapped beneath the water in an icy lake for 15 minutes. Marcel Ruiz, Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, and Mike Colter co-star. [HBO]

SOURCE: Inside

In just under three weeks, 36-year-old MMA fighter Donald Cerrone will go into the Octagon for the UFC welterweight match of his career. On January 18 in Las Vegas, Cerrone, better known as “Cowboy,” will go up against Conor McGregor.

This is the kind of fight where legends are born.

What’s at stake for Cerrone, is redemption following two straight losses. A win moves him one step closer to a title shot. If you’ve ever wondered what goes through Cowboy’s mind weeks before a high-stakes fight like this, you’re in luck.

The new limited docuseries, More than a Cowboy has premiered on streamer Amazon Prime. It’s produced by Camera Ambassador Managing Partner and newly appointed Midwest Independent Film Festival Executive Director Erica Duffy along with Logan Stone and Brandon Werlin.

Directed by James Lloyd McKinney, More Than a Cowboy explores Cerrone’s seventeen-year history as a fighter. The series features interviews with Cerrone, his coaches and his family, and provides an inside look into his unorthodox training methods.

“MMA is a world that, despite its popularity, still has so much unknown around it.” said director McKinney. “When it comes to the lives of these athletes and the preparation it takes to actually lock yourself in a cage with another human being and say, ‘alright we’re going to fight,’ there’s a
lot we as fans haven’t seen that we are hungry for. More Than A Cowboy is our chance to dive into that world outside of the octagon and see that preparation at the highest level with not just a UFC fighter, but one of the best fighters of all time.”

Head coach, Jafari Vanier, is confident in Cerrone’s ability to dominate the octagon. “If I look at the two, he’s got a lot more to worry about than we do,” says Vanier. “We’ve got multiple submission victories, head kick knockout victories…we just have to worry about a left hand and that first round.”

Watch the exciting trailer below:

ALSO READ: Disney+ adds ‘WandaVision,’ ditches ‘Home Alone’

An excited Duffy posted on her Instagram, “It’s been an incredible honor producing, More Than A Cowboy with @cowboycerrone and the gang in New Mexico! I’m really proud of this work and it would mean the world if you checked it out!”

You can purchase the first two episodes of More than a Cowboy on Amazon Prime Video here.

What’s Streaming This Week?

Here’s what’s available to stream the first week of 2020. And yes, Friends is gone from Netflix. They’ll be back on HBOMAX later this year.

SPINNING OUT: Debut drama series starring Kaya Scodelario as an Olympic figure skating hopeful who’s facing personal struggles both on and off the ice. January Jones and champion figure skater Johnny Weir co-star. [Netflix]

MESSIAH: Freshman thriller series starring Mehdi Dehbi as a man who grows an international following after claiming to be Jesus reborn. Tomer Sisley, Michelle Monaghan, and John Ortiz co-star. Husband-and-wife team Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are on board as executive producers. [Netflix]

THE CIRCLE: US remake of a popular British reality competition series, which is sort of like “Big Brother” crossed with “Catfish.” Contestants all move into the same apartment building but communicate exclusively via a social media app, never meeting in person, thus giving them the opportunity to lie to opponents about their real identities. [Netflix]

SEX, EXPLAINED: The latest docu-series spin-off of Vox Media’s “explainer” videos turns its attention to all aspects of human sexuality, from the biology of attraction to the history of birth control. Janelle Monae narrates. [Netflix]

THE DEGENERATES: The stand-up showcase – featuring comics who specialize in coarse or off-color jokes – is back with six new episodes starring Nikki Glaser, Adrienne Iapalucci, Robert Kelly, Ms. Pat, Jim Norton, and Donnell Rawlings. [Netflix]

ALEXA & KATIE: The teen sitcom, about two lifelong friends whose lives are changed when one of them begins cancer treatment, returns for a third season that kicks off with a special holiday episode. [Netflix]

THIEVES OF THE WOOD: 10-part historical drama series from The Netherlands about charismatic highwayman Jan de Lichte (Matteo Simoni), who leads a revolt against the aristocracy in 18th Century Flanders. [Netflix]

THE DISASTROUS LIFE OF SAIKI K.: REAWAKENED: Netflix’s new anime series continues the story of Disastrous Life of Saiki K., which started as a comedy manga before becoming a series of animated shorts and, finally, a live-action 2017 film. The series follows a high school student who develops a number of psychic abilities, including telepathy and teleportation but still tries to lead a normal life. [Netflix]

THE NEIGHBOR: Freshman comedy series from Spain, about a slovenly, self-centered man (Quim Gutiérrez) who becomes a superhero with the assistance of his friendly neighbor. It’s based on a real comic book series, El Vecino, by Santiago García and Pepo Pérez. [Netflix]

YANXI PALACE: PRINCESS ADVENTURES: This new six-episode series picks up the action from the hit 2018 Chinese period drama series “Story of Yanxi Palace,” which streamed on that country’s iQiyi platform. [Netflix]

GHOST STORIES: The Indian directors behind the anthologies “Bombay Talkies” and “Lust Stories” return with this collection of four new horror shorts. [Netflix]

PARTY OF FIVE: Freeform’s debut teen drama is a reboot of the popular ’90s Fox series. In the update, the five Acosta children must fend for themselves after their parents are deported to Mexico. The new season begins on Freeform on January 8; the pilot is up early on Hulu. [Hulu]

DEPUTY: Fox’s new Western-inspired crime drama stars Stephen Dorff as a fifth-generation lawman who becomes the new Los Angeles County Sheriff due to an antiquated law that’s somehow still on the books. New episodes will air on Fox on Thursdays and hit Hulu on Fridays, but the pilot has also gone up early. [Hulu]

RAISE HELL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS: This 2019 feature documentary profiles the celebrated Texas political journalist and “media firebrand” who passed away in 2007. [Hulu]

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT: Season 8 of the reality series, in which couples who were paired by relationship experts immediately tie the knot upon meeting, aired on Lifetime in early 2019, and hits Hulu this week. [Hulu]

PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS: The seventh season of the “Project Runway” spin-off debuted early last year on Lifetime. Alyssa Milano returns as host, with judges Georgina Chapman and Isaac Mizrahi. [Hulu]

HOARDERS: The A&E/Lifetime reality series profiles individuals who struggle with compulsive hoarding disorder as they receive counseling and assistance from a therapist or professional organizer. The 10th season is now streaming on Hulu. [Hulu]

GLAM MASTERS: Make-up artists compete in head-to-head challenges in Lifetime’s reality competition series, hosted by “Orange is the New Black” star Laverne Cox and executive produced by Kim Kardashian West. Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu. [Hulu]

MAKING A MODEL WITH YOLANDA HADID: Another Lifetime reality competition series, this one finds former model and “Real Housewives” star Yolanda Hadid prepping aspiring teens for weekly challenges (along with her famous offspring, Gigi, Bella, and Anwar). [Hulu]

HUNTING JONBENÉT’S KILLER: 2019 documentary, which aired as part of A&E’s “The Untold Story” series, taking a fresh look at the infamous 1996 murder of child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey. [Hulu]

SECRET LIFE OF A GANG GIRL: A&E “Untold Story” episode investigating how social media can become a platform for gang activity. [Hulu]

PAVAROTTI: Ron Howard directed this feature documentary, which profiles the iconic opera singer, and features rare interviews with his family and colleagues. [Showtime]

BREAKTHROUGH: Drama feature, based on the Christian book “The Impossible,” about a teenager in St. Louis who survives after being trapped beneath the water in an icy lake for 15 minutes. Marcel Ruiz, Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, and Mike Colter co-star. [HBO]

SOURCE: Inside