Last night at the Tribeca Screening Room, Tribeca hosted a private screening and panel discussion for special guests of We Could Be King, the compelling sports documentary produced by Tribeca Digital Studios and The Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation. In case you missed it at TFF 2014 (and its subsequent screenings on ESPN and ESPN2), the film explores the traditional rivalry between two Philadelphia high schools—Martin Luther King High School and Germantown High—and the reactions of their students and the community when they are forced to combine after drastic budget cuts.

Used as part of Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation's “Sports Matter” initiative, We Could Be King offers a different kind of branded content because complete artistic control was left in the hands of the creative team, led by director Judd Ehrlich. Panelists that included Ehrlich, Hennessy SVP Rodney Williams, and Dick’s Sporting Goods VP Ryan Eckel were on hand to discuss branded content after the screening.  The panel was moderated by Ad Week Editorial Director Jim Cooper who encouraged audience members to ask provocative questions of experts. The Q &A continued right into the cocktail reception at the Tribeca Grill Loft.

Ehrlich summed up his experience on the project in this way: “It was incredible process from start to finish. I’m so excited as a filmmaker to build upon this experience as a new model of storytelling. Anything is possible when you have the resources.”