The Greater Gardendale Chamber of Commerce annual banquet was held Thursday at the Gardendale Civic Center.

The theme for the 2011 Banquet was “Everybody has a Story to Tell,” and featured documentarian and Gardendale native Grant Guffin, who wrote and co-produced the documentary film “Nick Saban: Gamechanger.” The film premiered at  Summit Carmike Cinemas in Birmingham on Aug. 24, and continued to open in theatres across the southeast.

“It’s good to be back in my hometown again,” said Guffin during his speech.

Guffin told stories about growing up in Gardendale, about how the film almost never made it off the ground, about his personal interviews with film subject and University of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban.

“I was at [Saban’s] childhood home in West Virginia, and as I looked around, I had a profound thought — or, at least, I thought it was profound. I thought, ‘Nick Saban is human.’”

Guffin is a co-founding partner of Memphis-based Flashlight Media Group.

Guffin said Flashlight Media Group was exploring the possibility of making a similar documentary about Auburn University’s football program, but that the project would ultimately have to be green-lit by the school’s officials.

The Chamber also handed out several awards:

• Chamber Member of the Year was awarded to Chamber secretary and interim executive director Alan Hall.

• Gardendale Citizen of the Year was awarded to Gardendale Historical Society President Kermitt Dooley.

• The Chamber President’s Award went to Gardendale Chiropractic Center owner Dr. James Fox.

• Gardendale’s Own Award went to Guffin.

• The AVA Grimmitt Tireless Worker Award went to Keller Williams Realty employee Karen Dunn.

• The Gardendale Chamber Appreciation Award went to Chamber Immediate Past President Robert Cloud.

Gardendale caterer Silver Spoons provided the food for the evening, Poise and Ivy decorated for the event and musician Les Fillmer provided live saxophone music.