Huddle up, sports fans (and movie lovers)! The Tribeca Film Festival 2014 hit We Could Be King has been nominated for an emmy award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Audiences will no doubt be inspired by the compelling rivalry between students at two Philadelphia high schools—Martin Luther King High School and Germantown High—as their teams are forced to combine after drastic budget cuts. At the center of it all is 27-year-old first time head coach Ed Dunn who must work with his staff and a new principal to unite these young men who must balance school work with other challenges on and off the field.
If you missed We Could Be King on the Festival circuit or its subsequent showings on ESPN and ESPN 2, it’s time to add this inspiring sports documentary to your queue. We’ve also got the scoop on 5 more films streaming on Netflix!
30 for 30: Straight Outta L.A.
Famed rapper-turned-director Ice Cube looks at the collision of hip-hop and football culture back in 1982 when the Oakland Raiders came to (and left) Los Angeles. Aided by its soundtrack full of hip-hop classics, the film explores how the Raiders brand was embraced by Cube and N.W.A, a vital component of the success of the sports franchise during this turbulent period in the city. Because of Cube’s and his peers’ association with the team, the Raiders (and their colors black and silver) are forever linked with the emergence of gangsta rap as recounted by such music luminaries as Ice-T, Snoop Dogg and Cube himself.
Jocks & Movie Lovers, Get Ready For The 2015 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Fest
Why would someone with a beautiful family and thriving career regularly risk death? This thrilling documentary takes a closer look at extreme ski innovator Shane McConkey from his daring early days to the attempted ski jump that ended his life. Shane’s story is told through sports footage, interviews and his personal home videos and features striking videos of Shane’s gravity-defying stunts. What viewers take away is incredible respect for Shane and his relentless dedication to pioneering the sport of ski base jumping.
Directed by Billy Corben, this fascinating documentary looks at how easy it is for professional athletes in the NBA and NFL to go broke once they’ve hit the big leagues. Featuring candid interviews with players like Jamal Mashburn, Bernie Kosar, and Andre Rison, the film explores a number of variables (women, bad investments, freeloaders, family obligations, and general excess) that contribute to the financial collapse of these athletes. These high-spenders live with the constant threat of career-ending injuries but squander their resources nevertheless. They end up sadder and wiser and definitely poorer.
Filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough draws attention to the phenomenon of street skating through his riveting documentary that follows 8 famous skaters (including Paul Rodriguez, Ryan Sheckler, Nyjah Huston, Sean Malto, and Chris Cole) as they prepare for the 2012 Street League Championship. As these men deal with the pressures of competition—friends, family, endorsement deals, injuries—Bhala Lough is granted unfettered access, giving audiences an intimate look into the psyches of these young athletes as they go for the $200,000 prize and all the glory.
30 for 30: When The Garden Was Eden
Feautring interviews with legends like Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, and Phil Jackson, this enthralling documentary relives the championship run of the New York Knicks back in the 1970s. Directed by actor and native New Yorker Michael Rapaport, the film is a love letter to the iconic team comprised of so many future hall-of-famers, many of whom came from humble beginnings to play key roles in one of the most vibrant and explosive sports decades that The Big Apple has ever experienced.
FOR MORE READ:
2015 Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival Includes Docs from Spike Lee, Katie Holmes & Eva Longoria
He Got Game: A History of Spike Lee Bringing Sports and Film Together
