Cliff, Superfan
Short
FLORIDA PREMIERE
In the last 22 years, 68-year-old Clifford Hayashi has attended over 4,000 Stanford games. Nicknamed “Stanford’s Superfan,” Cliff leads cheers, imparts statistics, and travels the country to attend games. His devotion to multiple sports and the athletes is unshakable and legendary. But although most know who Cliff is, the man himself remains a mystery. Usually attending games alone, Cliff does not own a phone or computer. Until a year ago, he did not own a car. For this documentary, the filmmaker (whose daughters played soccer and field hockey at Stanford) set out to discover the man behind the “superfan.”Rivaling his love for Stanford sports is Cliff’s passion for writing about the Japanese concentration camp in Tule Lake, California where his mother was imprisoned during World War II. Determined to identify every Tule Lake prisoner in the thousands of nameless photos he’s collected, Cliff will often use sports to share stories of the camps — introducing many to a forgotten piece of history. Whether it’s cheering on the sidelines or poring over books in the library, Cliff follows his passions. Viewers will discover an intriguing, enigmatic man — generous despite challenges along the way. Everyone should have a fan like Cliff.
