NBA Films for Fans created with OLG: 'Draft Day' by Thyrone Tommy

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Steve Nash, David Stern, Adam Silver, Andrew Wiggins on Draft Day

NBA Films for Fans created with OLG is a Toronto International Film Festival Special Event, featuring films created by fans for fans, in celebration of the NBA's landmark 75th anniversary season.

As part of the celebration, NBA.com will look at how the world of film and basketball world often intertwine, including a closer look at the five films set to premiere at the festival. After previewing the short films " Born Identities," " Inheritance," " Shorty" and "The Shot," we now take a look at "Draft Day," directed by Thyrone Tommy.

Draft Day: a day that will never be forgotten by the players who made it far enough to achieve the ultimate dream.

In the modern NBA Draft era (since 1989), there have been 33 Canadians who have heard their name called by the NBA commissioner on the marquee day. There has been at least one Canadian selected in 10 of the last 11 NBA Drafts, with a record of six Canadians drafted in 2019. In 2013, Anthony Bennett made history as the first-ever Canadian selected with the No. 1 overall pick, but he didn't stand alone with that feat for long, as Andrew Wiggins was selected first overall the following year (2014).

In "Draft Day," a film directed by Thyrone Tommy, we get to experience the ultimate reward for the relentless time, effort and work put in through the eyes of NBA hopefuls.

Framed through the Canadian NBA players who have turned that dream into a reality, such as Wiggins, RJ Barrett, Steve Nash, Jamal Murray, Kelly Olynyk and Cory Joseph, "Draft Day" sees the perseverance, hard work and dreams of an athlete and their community on the verge of being realized.

With sky-high stakes and equally heightened emotions, "Draft Day" is an intimate look at the potential of those life-altering days through the eyes of Canadians that one day hope to hear their name called.

Tommy is an award-winning filmmaker and alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre’s Directors Lab and TIFF Talent Lab.

Thyrone’s films have been celebrated internationally at over 30 festivals, including his short "Mariner," which premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival, won the Lindalee Tracey Award and was named one of TIFF Canada's Top Ten shorts of the year, before premiering online as a Vimeo Staff Pick.

He will also have his debut feature, "Learn to Swim," premiered at TIFF 2021. It's a Telefilm Talent to Watch, CBC Films and Toronto Arts Council supported project.

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