Hollywood meets NBA hardwood: A look inside the rise of the Summer League Film Festival

LAS VEGAS -- 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.”

Like other entries, the “Kings of Vegas” team showcased select footage, including interviews with high-profile names such as Snoop Dogg, Chuck D and Jimmy Kimmel, alongside UNLV legends Augmon, Larry Johnson, Greg Anthony and others. After the screening, the producers and cast discussed the film’s origins, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd.

The documentary remains in development, but Augmon says the film festival is already proving its worth.

“This gives us another great avenue,” said Augmon, who played on the Runnin' Rebels team that won the 1990 NCAA championship before his 15-season NBA career. His college teammate, Anderson Hunt, said sharing their authentic, real-life stories offer a major advantage like never before, unlocking new pathways to getting their projects financed and sold.

“We have control of what's coming out,” Hunt said. “People might know about our stories through the internet. But stuff like this takes our platform to the next level. This is great for us, and Deon is like a golden child.”

The festival spotlighted stories produced by NBA stars past and present including Nikola Jokic, Luguentz Dort, Tony Allen, Nate Robinson, Kyle Anderson, Cole Anthony, Keyon Dooling and Udonis Haslem.

Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor of Hidden Empire Film Group were tapped to infuse the festival with seasoned filmmaking expertise, helping bridge the worlds of sports and entertainment. He played a key role in encouraging Hollywood insiders to show up, especially during the NBA Summer League's final stretch to keep the closing days as enticing as opening week.

Taylor credited NBA Summer League co-founder Albert Hall for having the foresight to spark the collaboration.

“This is all invaluable,” said Hall, who cofounded the league with Warren LeGarie in 2004. “The players make money, no doubt about it. They invest in these projects. But they don’t really know what the system can provide or how to approach it. Kind of like a young executive getting into the sport or a young player trying to be seen and get exposure. It’s the same way. They have to be coached up.”

Hall said the partnership with Hidden Empire was a natural next step following their successful collaboration with the NFL and Skydance Sports, where they led film training sessions in March for more than 20 current and former NFL players. He added that having Wahlberg and Archie Gips of Unrealistic Ideas on board brings more industry muscle to strengthen the initiative and help drive it forward.

Taylor said the festival is a door opener for the athletes.

“It’s a gateway for athletes to share their art, do their art and be creative without anyone questioning them,” said Taylor, director of “Black and Blue,” “The Intruder, “Meet the Blacks” and “Fatale.” A former basketball player in East Germany turned independent filmmaker, he said true artistry requires neither a film school nor a Hollywood pedigree.

“The greatest artists are the ones that draw, create, build, shoot in the face of negativity and who paint pictures of what they see in the times that they live in,” Taylor said. “You can only do that if you live in this culture. You can do that if you've lived and experienced it. You can't do that from a high-rise building with no pain. These guys come from adversity in life and sports.”

EverWonder Studio president Michael Antinoro certainly thinks so, and then some. He sees the film festival as more than a one-off spectacle in Las Vegas.

In Antinoro's eyes, it could become the Oscars of athlete-driven storytelling with satellite versions popping up in the NBA arenas throughout the season. He sees value in helping standout projects secure the final funding and reach the right distributors.

“If we can add any value, we’re in the rooms talking to all the networks and streamers that distributes films,” said Antinoro, a founding partner of the studio, which specializes in nonfiction content, documentaries and live events. The company served as co-executive producer on “Defiant: The Manny Pacquiao Obsession” in 2019 and produced projects featuring Mike Tyson and Brett Favre.

“We’re talking to them a lot. It’s all about exposure,” he said. “Some of these films maybe need a little more money just to get them over the line. If it makes sense, we can play a little there too.”

For Michelle Satter, it’s all about fostering a supportive creative community. She sees promising potential in what’s taking shape at the Summer League Film Festival.

While it’s still early, Satter can envision a future where projects from the festival eventually find their way into Sundance.

“Why not? Of course,” said Satter, a founding figure at Sundance since 1981. She now serves as the founding senior director of Sundance Institute's artist programs. She's exploring how it might support the festival after being invited by Taylor.

Sundance already has an existing partnership with Taylor’s Hidden Empire. She called the opportunity to collaborate on this new venture both exciting and aligned with Sundance’s mission to uplift emerging voices in storytelling.

Satter's late son, Michael Latt, had his documentary short “Hoops, Hopes & Dreams” premiere at Sundance early this year. She said Sundance gets about 15,000 short film submissions each year, but there’s room for compelling storytelling that opens up new perspective from an athlete’s lens.

“That was the power of storytelling, the unity of sports and bringing people together in community,” she said. “I love the idea. These are the stories people need to see. They need to be out there in the world.”