96 lbs. of Dynamite

When director Loren Goldfarb first spotted Chad “Shorty” McDaniel at a pool hall in Florida, he figured the guy in the motorized wheelchair with tiny arms and legs couldn’t be any good. Then he saw him play! By the end of that grueling day, Chad had beaten six opponents and earned a spot in one of the game’s top amateur tournaments. Following Chad in the months leading up to the big event and traveling with him out West, 96 lbs. of Dynamite explores the myriad obstacles life with brittle bone disease (Osteogenesis Imperfecta) presents, and how one man from humble roots fights low expectations and discrimination with wit, grit, and determination. Along the way, Chad suffers devastating personal losses and makes a major career decision with potentially significant ramifications. We travel with Chad to his small, rural Mississippi birthplace where he learned to play pool, and return to the site of his very public battles to overcome institutional barriers.