Independent Film “Streetballers” Crosses-Over with Hollywood Debut

(I-Newswire) September 24, 2009 - (SAINT LOUIS, MO) – September 24, 2009 – The award-winning dramatic sports feature Streetballers announced its exclusive engagement at the Mann Chinese 6 Theatre on September 25. The indie feature has teamed up with Los Angeles Lakers forward Josh Powell and UCLA and Olympic track legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee, called the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated, to host the premiere.
Streetballers is a drama that spotlights the struggles of two junior college basketball players, one white, the other black. Both players struggle to keep their chaotic, fatherless families together, and find that the best chance for their future is to help each other succeed both on the court and in the classroom.
“Think Million Dollar Baby meets Coach Carter with themes from Shakespeare’s Henry V,” describes Streetballers’ producers and actors Matthew Scott Krentz, Craig Thomas, Patrick Rooney and Vernon Whitlock III. The realistic portrayal of underground basketball and the uplifting underdog story attracted the Lakers’ Josh Powell.
“I played on courts like that,” says Powell. The movie showed the streetball game like it really is. That’s never been done before. But it also showed these guys grinding in their lives off the court too. And I could see my story in that.”
Before signing with the Lakers, Powell played for five teams in four seasons. Powell is now beginning his second season with the championship Lakers. “With the Lakers, I wasn’t drafted or traded to them. I had to try out for the team. Like the guys in the movie, I’m still working, still grinding. I’m blessed, but I’m still working,” he said.
Krentz, a former college basketball player himself, began working on the film in 2003. With no studio backing of any kind, it took Krentz two years to raise the initial $1.5 million to finance the feature. Krentz secured funding through private investors while waiting tables and even drove a forklift at a local beer distribution company to make ends meet.
“You do what it takes,” explained Krentz. “You’ve got this dream and you’ve got this idea that matters. Everyone tells you that you can’t do it the way you’re saying, but it’s the only way it’s ever gonna get done. So you do it, and bet everything to pull it off.”
In its opening weekend, Streetballers was ninth nationally in per screen average at the box office, behind Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and Neill Blomkamp’s science fiction film District 9.
With its opening weekend success and numerous awards under its belt (including the “Best Cinematography”, “Jury Award”, “Audience Choice Award” and “Best Dramatic Feature” at the St. Louis International Award), Streetballers is leading an era of independent feature filmmakers, producers and actors. With the film’s national launch set to take major markets by storm, Streetballers will not rest until they bring back the gold to Saint Louis. For more information on Streetballers, the official soundtrack and to pre-order the DVD, please visit: www.streetballersthemovie.com.

ABOUT MSK PRODUCTIONS
Founded in October 2000 and headquartered in Saint Louis, MO, Matthew Scott Krentz Productions (MSK Productions) is a development, distribution, and production company bringing unique projects to audiences through traditional and non-traditional media platforms. With a philosophy that insists on producing quality, thought provoking films, MSK Productions is filling the void for equal representation in cinema. The production powerhouse has received nominations and awards for achievements in film including “Best Action Script”, “Grand Jury Award”, “Audience Choice Award”, and the Casting Society of America’s prestigious “Artios Award”.

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