Filmmaker Travon Free has teamed with Blink49 Creator Studios and 1Community to produce a documentary that examines how everyday New Yorkers responded to the New York Knicksâ underdog victory in the NBA Finals last month.
The untitled project will be produced through Freeâs The Unreasnble production banner in partnership with Outerboro Films. The film will follow four New Yorkers in four different boroughs on June 13 as the team moved to their first NBA Finals win since 1973. The long-struggling teamâs come-from-behind victory captured the imagination of casual sports fans across the five boroughs and well beyond.
âThis is a story about everyday New Yorkers â the bodega owner, the door man, the cab driver, die hard Knicks fans who know what it means to love and belong to one of the greatest cities on earth,â said Free, who won the Oscar in 2021 for best live-action short for âTwo Distant Strangers.â âThis is about the woman whoâs been going to games with her mom since she was five and grandfather on a Brooklyn stoop who still talks about Willis Reed playing on one leg. Itâs so much bigger than basketball.â
The project will be supported by filmmaker Scott Budnickâs 1Community banner, which is a production company focused on projects to drive social impact.
âThe Knicks grabbed the attention of the nation at a time when we truly needed something joyous to rally around,â said Budnick, who is founder and CEO of 1Community. âThis project is a testament to and love letter for the people of New York City and all die-hard fans who never let hope die and showed the world the tremendous power of coming together.â
The untitled doc will also be produced by Daniel Lombroso (âManhoodâ), Kerry Mack (âManhoodâ), and Frank Chi (â38 at the Gardenâ).
âBlink49 was built to back creators telling stories that matter, and this is exactly that; a piece of New York history captured as it happens,â said Mickey Meyer, president of Blink49 Creator Studios. âPartnering with Outerboro and 1Community to move at the speed this moment demands is what independent filmmaking should look like.â
Freeâs other credits include working as a writer for âThe Daily Showâ and âFull Frontal With Samantha Bee.â
(Pictured: Travon Free, Mickey Meyer and Scott Budnick)