Keanu Reeves supports teen filmmaker behind chess documentary 'Madwoman’s Game'

Keanu Reeves has spent more than five years supporting a teenage filmmaker in bringing a chess documentary to the screen, according to her parents.

The project, titled Madwoman’s Game, is set to premiere on April 16 at the Miami Film Festival. It follows Bianca Mitchell-Avila, a young chess player who set out to explore the role of women in the game.

Her parents said the idea originated in 2020 after she was featured in an article discussing Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.

They said the social media response included negative comments about women playing chess, which motivated her to pursue a documentary on the subject.

According to a post shared by her parents, Mitchell-Avila began developing the project independently. “With zero Hollywood connections and working from her kitchen table, she managed to get her vision in front of Keanu in 2021,” they wrote.

Reeves subsequently joined the project as an executive producer and has continued to mentor her throughout its development.

“It turns out that he played on the chess team in high school. He has been mentoring her for over five years!” her parents said.

They added, “This would never have been possible without the care and protection of Keanu! He truly is awesome!”

Further details about how Reeves became involved have not yet been disclosed, with the family indicating that the full story will be shared at a later stage.

A video outlining the concept for the documentary was released in 2021, in which Mitchell-Avila described her intention to highlight women in chess. The film includes contributions from players such as Jennifer Shahade and Alexandra Botez.

An official synopsis describes the documentary as following Mitchell-Avila’s journey through competition, mentorship and travel, examining how chess can reflect broader life experiences.