Media company Uninterrupted hosted its inaugural film festival. The festival featured screenings, panels and a live recording of Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green’s podcast.
The festival held screenings of the mini-series “Goliath” and the documentary “Black Ice.”
“Goliath” expounds upon the life of NBA great Wilt Chamberlain. Religion of Sports co-founder Gotham Chopra produced the mini-series with a desire to show the achievements of the late star off the court. He noted how Chamberlain was “counterculture within the counterculture.”
“We commonly associate Bill Russell and Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown as being real culture changers, part of the Civil Rights Movement, we don’t talk about Wilt Chamberlain that way,” Chopra said. “When we start to unpack it, he was as much as a change agent as any of those.”
Related Stories
James Harden Return Home and Makes Debut Against the NY Knicks on Monday
Fremont Defeats Los Angeles in First Round of City Section Playoffs
Showtime Lakers star James Worthy was on the panel along with Chopra; he talked about the advice and mentorship he received from Chamberlain.
“I did get to know him once I moved to Los Angeles and I was working with people that coached him,” Worthy said. “I got to know [Chamberlain] off the court as a young kid coming to L.A., he’s very influential and very kind in giving advice just about life.”
“Black Ice” explores the hardships and achievements of BIPOC pro hockey players past and present. Among the panelists was Los Angeles Kings scout Blake Bolden.
The film festival also featured a panel for up-and-coming athletes which included USC student athletes Juju Watkins, Malachi Nelson, and Ceyair Wright. New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux moderated the panel; they discussed several topics including NIL deals and their journeys to USC.
“These young adults … they’re great athletes,” Thibodeaux said. “It was amazing just hearing a little bit of wisdom on some key notes that I had or didn’t have when I was coming into NIL, just seeing how much they already know.”
Through the panel, Watkins got a chance to get to know fellow Trojans.
“It’s very empowering just the topics that we’re talking about when it comes to storytelling,” Watkins said. “It’s been a fun experience.”
Pro softball player AJ Andrews, along with five-time WNBA All-Star Angel McCoughtry and track and field star Lolo Jones engaged in a panel discussion about how they tell their own narratives.
During his live podcast, Green interviewed Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young. They discussed Young’s upbringing, his approach to his game, and his life off the court.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid talked with Uninterrupted co-founder Maverick Carter about his new production studio Miniature Géant. The studio is launching in partnership with the SpringHill Company.
Uninterrupted aspires to empower athletes. Through their festival, they showed how athletes are taking the lead in telling their own narratives through their own perspectives.
