By Jonathan Landrum Jr., Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — While Bronny James and other young talent were lighting up the NBA Summer League court in Las Vegas, another game was being played just a few steps away: One with scripts, storyboards and studio buzz.
Inside the Thomas & Mack Center, just as the league wrapped up Sunday, a different kind of crowd formed. Hollywood execs, producers and curious power players were slipping away from the basketball action to catch a slate of 34 film projects created by NBA stars past and present.
More than just film screenings, it’s an emerging playground where sports and the art of storytelling collide. From baseline to backlot, the Summer League Film Festival is generating off-court buzz — with the likes of Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, actor-producer Mark Wahlberg and filmmaker Deon Taylor joining the mix. Conversations are building on turning this three-day showcase into a launchpad for athlete-filmmakers, backed by film industry veterans who understand both the creative and business sides of shaping ideas and grooming projects for the screen.
“This definitely has legs,” said retired NBA player Stacey Augmon after previewing “UNLV: Kings of Vegas,” a documentary chronicling the untold story of the Runnin’ Rebels in the Strip View Pavilion. A 10-minute clip was screened before a packed audience, including Sundance Film Festival director Michelle Satter and production companies like the Wahlberg co-owned Unrealistic Ideas and Alcon Entertainment, the company behind “The Book of Eli” and “Blade Runner 2049.”
