Blood, sweat, tears & sparkle

Welcome to the spectacular world of competitive cheerleading in Ireland.

Forget pom-poms & girls on the sidelines, it takes strength, sweat and sparkle to be a world-class cheerleader.

Team captain, glamour queen Jessica; star athlete, Jayleesa; dyslexic and athletic Blathnaid; out-and-proud, fun-loving Dean; freedom-seeking Taylor; and lost boy Rickie are each searching for their place in the world through the sport they love. As their anxiety-crippled coach, Hilton, battles to keep the team on track through a season of ill-discipline and injuries, we follow our underdog athletes’ dramatic journey to the World Championships in America.

This surprising and uplifting coming-of-age movie follows the young female...and male athletes of Team Ireland to intimately explore questions of gender, strength, performance, sexuality and what it’s like growing up in the world today. Can Team Ireland reach their goal of top ten in the world, and can cheerleading give these athletes a space to find themselves?

From award-winning director Tanya Doyle (THE HOUSE) with music by Stephen Rennicks & Hugh Drumm (ROOM, THE QUIET GIRL), EAT / SLEEP / CHEER / REPEAT is a feel-good documentary exploring the worlds of the young misfits finding a place where they belong. Battling self-doubt while figuring out their place in the world, this is a story of athletes who don’t just want to stand out. They want to fit in.