When elementary school teacher Pat Palinkas took the field for the Orlando Panthers in 1970, she became the first woman to play professional football. Her debut generated national headlines, yet her achievement subsequently faded from public attention.
Director Ashley Brandon revisits that history in “Panther Pat,” a 12-minute documentary blending interviews and archival material with doll-and-toy scenes created through stop-motion animation. The approach echoes a restriction Palinkas encountered as a child: when she wanted to play football, she was told that girls should play with dolls.
Brandon, an associate professor of film, television and media arts at Quinnipiac University, grew up with a football-coach father but was never allowed to join a team herself. After moving to Connecticut, she discovered Palinkas through a passing reference in a football history book. Its account of the semi-professional Bridgeport Jets mentioned Palinkas, who had faced the team in her first game. The filmmakers approached her by letter, and production began in 2021.
Palinkas died in the summer of 2025, months before the documentary was finished. Her family has embraced the film, whose playful style Brandon hopes will connect with the young audiences Palinkas loved teaching. A recurring scene shows a small doll watching women appear on television as football players, coaches, referees, and fans.
The film earned the Documentary Short Grand Jury Prize at the 2026 Slamdance Film Festival, appeared at Tribeca and became eligible for Oscar consideration. Eli Manning and Robin Roberts also joined the project as executive producers.
