Keith Dorrington

Keith Dorrington is the writer and executive producer of The Fighter, for which he was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Keith’s filmmaker story began with relationships forged in adolescence. Born in Massachusetts, Dorrington lived only one town over from half brothers Dicky Ecklund and “Irish” Micky Ward, two promising boxers whose careers were cut short – Dicky due to addiction and Micky to a series of losses. Inspired by the brothers’ efforts to start anew, Keith gave up his lucrative career in the international shipping/global logistics industry and filmed the documentary Not Over ‘Til the Count of Ten. In this film he documented Ward’s incredible comeback under Ecklund’s training. This documentary eventually became The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg in the role of “‘Irish’ Micky Ward” and Christian Bale as “Dicky Ecklund.”

Dorrington’s first lesson in reinvention was from his father – an alcoholic who suddenly decided to give up drinking and stuck to it, finding success in real estate. This theme of reinvention and starting anew is one that is heavily featured in The Fighter, as well as in Keith’s personal life. After leaving an career in real estate early, he remade himself in the international shipping business and again as a filmmaker. Much like the boxer brothers from Massachusetts who he brought to the big screen, Dorrington shows that hard work, passion, and perseverance result in guaranteed success.