His first film wowed Sundance. His second brought him back home to Baltimore.

Fourteen years ago, Baltimore native Sheldon Candis was making a big first impression on Hollywood.

“Luv,” his 2012 directorial debut starring superstars Common and Michael Rainey Jr., was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival, the film industry’s annual taste-making event. He was nominated for the night’s top awards in writing and drama, but the movie was met with mixed reviews upon wide release. While Roger Ebert commended its sidestepping of cliches, the Los Angeles Times said it fell “short of potential.”

So in many ways, telling a story about resiliency after taking a few punches feels right to the filmmaker from Park Heights.

After a nearly decade-and-a-half gap between major projects, Candis’ awaited second feature is earning national attention: “They Fight,” a coming-of-age boxing tale shot in his hometown, debuts Friday on Hulu and Disney+ following its premiere at last month’s Tribeca Film Festival.

“My feet are in L.A., but my heart’s in Baltimore,” said Candis, 47.

Candis grew up with dreams of becoming the next Barry Levinson, the Baltimore-born, Oscar-winning director of “Rain Man.” Making films was always the ultimate goal, even as a Langston Hughes Elementary School student, when he fell in love with underdog movies like “Rocky” and “The Karate Kid.”

“I was like, there’s nothing else I want to do with my life,” Candis, a graduate of the University of Southern California’s film school, said recently.

Now he’s adding his own spin to the genre with “They Fight,” a fictionalized story based on a 2018 documentary of the same name. While the movie is set in Washington, D.C., Candis knew early on that only Baltimore could provide the kind of unvarnished authenticity the narrative needed. The lived-in backdrops of the Reservoir Hill, Charles Village and Cherry Hill neighborhoods made the city an essential character in the film.

Whereas the intricate layout of D.C. “can be super challenging” to shoot, Candis said, “Baltimore is just like a real-life soundstage.”

The film stars André Holland (“Moonlight,” “Selma”) as Walt Manigan, an ex-boxing star trying to get his life on track after prison. With few options, he volunteers at a D.C. youth recreation center alongside another coach, Slim (Wendell Pierce), helping aspiring fighters build confidence, along with his own, as they battle for spots in the U.S. Junior Olympic Team.

Pierce, who played Detective Bunk Moreland on “The Wire,” replaced another “Wire” alum, Isiah Whitlock Jr., who died in December after he was cast as Slim.

Candis, who moved to North Carolina at 10, said focusing on preteen boxers who find themselves, both in and out of the ring, felt unique compared with familiar stories about adult fighters.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen kids, like boys, in headgear and oversized gloves — especially that look like me,” he said. “I was like, oh, this is really interesting. You can literally do this ‘Karate Kid’ narrative.”

That type of storyline, where the main character builds himself back up through unglamorous hard work, resonates with Candis.

After “Luv,” Candis stayed busy, directing one-off TV episodes and the 2017 ESPN Films documentary “Baltimore Boys” about Dunbar High School basketball in the early ’80s. But getting the green light on a second film proved difficult, with Candis enrolling in a Sundance program designed to help filmmakers launch their follow-up projects.

“It was just a very, very challenging experience getting from movie number one to movie number two,” he said.

Andre Royo, the veteran actor best known for playing Bubbles — another favorite from “The Wire” — recognized Candis’ talent for storytelling when he saw “Luv.” Over the years, Royo encouraged Candis to “keep up the good work, keep the fight.”

“So when he called and said, ‘I got this second feature,’ I was really happy for him, ‘cause, again, I know the journey,” said Royo, who plays the father of a young boxer in “They Fight.”

Success is to “keep showing up and going after it,” Candis said.

Candis wants to continue telling stories in Baltimore, and is in early talks to direct a second boxing movie and “another Baltimore movie that I’m really excited about,” he said.

The city, meanwhile, is welcoming him back with open arms. Candis will be back Friday evening for the Baltimore premiere of “They Fight” at the SNF Parkway Theatre on North Avenue.

Maryland, for its part, is trying to make itself as attractive of a destination to Hollywood productions as possible, said Josh Slates, director of the state-run Maryland Film Office. The 19-day shoot supported 375 jobs and generated roughly $9.4 million in economic impact, according to Gov. Wes Moore.

Aside from the sentimental value, shooting in Baltimore presented economic incentives to “They Fight” and its $7 million budget, Candis said — namely Maryland’s 28% refundable tax credit for film productions.

It’s another way Candis wants to see his hometown win. He’s proud to make his directorial return to the big screen through the characters of “They Fight” — whether it’s the hungry young pupil or the experienced teacher in search of a second chance.

“I’m not some huge box-office director, but I’m also not somebody still wondering, woulda, shoulda, coulda,” Candis said. “I’m thankful every day of my life I get to be creative and tell stories.”