NBA Films for Fans created with OLG: Previewing the five films set to premiere at TIFF 2021

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NBA Films for Fans created with OLG

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. Below, find trailers and more information on each film that is set to debut at TIFF.

"Born Identities" by Kathleen S. Jayme

FULL PREVIEW

A short film that "chronicles the genesis of the logos of Canada's two NBA franchises, the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies during the league's 1995 expansion north of the border."

About the director: Based in Vancouver, BC, Jayme is an award-winning Filipina-Canadian filmmaker, whose documentary "Finding Big Country" has received international acclaim. Jayme's passion for both the Grizzlies and basketball as a whole shines through her work.

"Inheritance" by Shawn Gerrard

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"Inheritance" examines the way in which the passion and love for basketball can be inherited by children from their parents, "weaving the stories of real multi-generational NBA players with that of a father and son who become closer to each other - and their hometown Toronto Raptors - through a passion for the game."

About the director: Gerrard, a native of Toronto and alumnus of the York University Film: Production and Screenwriting program, has a number of works to his name, including the feature film "Space & Time," which was released in 2020.

"Shorty" by Romeo Candido

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In "Shorty," the point that height isn't everything gets magnified when a young girl quickly realizes that she is the shortest player at basketball tryouts. Starring a real-life father and daughter team, "Shorty" is a film that speaks to the dreamer in all of us.

About the director: An award-winning director and writer, Candido took home the Ishmael Bernal Award for Young Cinema at the Cinemanila International Film Festival in 2002 for his film "Lolo's Child." He also earned Best Non-Fiction Web Program/Series at the Canadian Screen Awards in 2020 for his documentary "Canada's a Drag."

"The Shot" by S.M. Turrell

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In "The Shot," the moment gets magnified in relation to the history of the Raptors' franchise and what it meant to the city of Toronto and the country of Canada. Through stylized imagery, a gripping montage and a hypnotic music score, the film merges with a personal monologue to create a rhapsody for the indelible sports moment.

About the director: Turrell is a native of Ontario, a 2020 TIFF Filmmaker Lab alumnus and a Juno and MuchMusic Video Award-winning director of more than 100 music videos. He has also directed short films such as "Follow" - which was co-produced by Rhombus Media - and "Odessa," a Grand Jury Prize Winner of the Gasparilla and Santa Fe Film Festivals.

"Draft Day" by Thyrone Tommy

FULL PREVIEW

In "Draft Day," 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, the film sees the perseverance, hard work and dreams of an athlete and their community on the verge of being realized. 

About the director: Tommy is an award-winning filmmaker and alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre's Directors Lab and TIFF Talent Lab. His films have been celebrated internationally at over 30 festivals, including his award-winning short "Mariner," which premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Tommy will also have his debut feature, "Learn to Swim," premiered at TIFF 2021. 

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