The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the launch of “NBA Films for Fans,” a global initiative that will engage filmmakers from 11 countries to develop 24 short documentary films celebrating the NBA and basketball from each of their respective cultural perspectives. Seven of the participating filmmakers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Senegal, UK and the U.S. will debut their films at an exclusive red-carpet event on Friday, Feb. 17 at Soundwell in Salt Lake City, Utah as part of NBA All-Star 2023.
Following the premiere event, the seven films will be screened throughout the weekend at NBA Crossover, an immersive fan experience taking place at Salt Palace Convention Center from Feb. 17-19, before all 24 films will be made available within the new global NBA App later this season.
The films, officially commissioned by the NBA, will provide fans with a deeper outlook into the milestones and moments that shape the league’s global influence from the perspective of these creators with diverse backgrounds. The filmmakers were given unlimited access to the NBA’s video archives and the films will receive promotional support from the league throughout the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
“We are excited to work with this global group of filmmakers and bring their unique basketball stories to fans around the world through the new NBA App,” said NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Social, Digital & Original Content Andrew Yaffe. “Films for Fans will showcase the power of basketball to create connections among people of different cultures and backgrounds through their shared love of the game and the excitement of the NBA.”
As part of the initiative and in celebration of Salt Lake City’s rich history as a filmmaking hub, the Utah Jazz produced a short film about the intersection of basketball and the local community that will be among the seven films to debut at the premiere event.
Participating filmmakers:
· Damiana Acuña (Mexico): Campos de Oro
· Batandwa Alperstein (South Africa): I Am
· *A Utah Jazz Production in partnership with the BYU Adlab (U.S.): Champagne Stain
· Amaury Barrera (Mexico): The Air Belongs to Those Who Dream
· *João Gabriel Caffarelli (Brazil): “Salve, Guys!”
· Romeo Candido (Canada): The Highest Form
· Lucius DeChausay (Canada): Regular
· Santiago Fábregas (Mexico): Mexican Dream
· *Pavneet Gakhal & Amol Gakhal (India): Yaari
· Rodrigo Perez Galicia (Mexico): Alley Oops
· *Daniel Arroniz & Sam Neter/Hoopsfix (United Kingdom): Got Next
· Carlo Ledesma (Philippines): The Mountain Ballers
· Gaurav Lulla & Amol Gakhal (India): Tu Bas Khel
· *Abdoulaye Ndao & Mohamed Diokhané Sy (Senegal): Renaissance
· Adesua Okosun (Nigeria): Contact
· Jaime Peña (Mexico): Barefoot Champions of the Mountain
· Lachlan Ross (Australia): Somethin's Cookin in the Capital
· Sebastian Sariñana (Mexico): Contra
· Raphael Silva (Brazil): Fundamental Rules
· Mahavir Rawat (India): Redemption
· Diego Huacuja T. (Mexico): Chronicles of an Orange Ball
· Eduardo Valenzuela (Mexico): Two Choices
· Vaner Vendramini (Brazil): In the Hands of God
· *Tier Zero (Canada): Bounce
*Films that will debut at the premiere event in Salt Lake City
As previously announced, the new and improved NBA App is the all-in-one destination for NBA fans of every team. With entirely new personalization features, the NBA App provides wall-to-wall content from every NBA game and features social-style vertical video, unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to players and teams, new and existing shows and series, and access to the NBA vault for free. The NBA App – a product of NBA Digital, the league’s joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports – is free to download here.
