Dick’s Market in Centerville, Utah, served as a filming location for “STANDOUT: The Ben Kjar Story,” a feature film that opened Jan. 23 in theaters nationwide and won the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival.
The film chronicles the life of Ben Kjar, a Utah native born with Crouzon syndrome who became a three-time state wrestling champion, an NCAA Division I All-American at Utah Valley University and a world champion competing for Team USA.
Filming locations across Utah provide the backdrop for his story.
The scene at the store depicts a childhood moment that helped shape Kjar’s outlook on life and was one of the film’s most emotionally charged sequences.
The production team worked with store leadership, team members and Associated Food Stores’ communications to capture the scene in an authentic community setting.
“Dick’s Market was incredibly supportive from the start,” said Elizabeth Barnett, senior communications specialist for Associated Food Stores, who coordinated with local director and producer Tanner Christensen.
“They understood the importance of the story being told and were fully prepared to have their store on camera. That kind of readiness and professionalism makes a big difference when you’re filming on location.”
The Dick’s Market team transformed a checkstand to reflect the 1980s, stocking it with classic candy and period-specific items. The store made temporary operational adjustments and worked with the crew to ensure filming went smoothly.
Producers expressed appreciation for the store’s flexibility and hospitality, noting that the authenticity of the location added emotional weight to the scene and reinforced the film’s central themes of belonging, visibility and courage.
“STANDOUT: The Ben Kjar Story” explores Kjar’s journey from a childhood marked by repeated surgeries and public cruelty to elite athletic achievement and international success as a motivational speaker.
The film challenges audiences to reconsider what is possible when adversity is met with purpose.
Dick’s Market is a member retailer of Associated Food Stores, a cooperative wholesale distributor headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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