DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC explores the definition, history, culture and social impact of New York’s summer b-ball scene, widely recognized as the worldwide “Mecca” of the sport.

In New York City, pick-up basketball is not just a sport. It is a way of life. There are 700+ outdoor courts, and an estimated 500,000 players, the most loyal of which approach the game as a religion, and the playground as their church.

“You can play high school or college for four years. You can play Pro for a decade. You can play pick-up … for life.”

DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC lovingly uncovers this movement through the voices of playground legends, NBA athletes, and most importantly the common ballplayer who all day looks forward to calling “next” game at their local schoolyard.

Co-directors Bobbito Garcia and Kevin Couliau visited 180 courts throughout NYC’s five boroughs to create their debut documentary. They traveled to a majority of the locations by bicycle, carrying camera equipment and a ball in their backpacks. The film’s title refers as much to the subject matter as it does to the method of filmmaking, providing an unprecedented perspective on urban America’s most popular, and accessible, free recreation.

Why has it taken so long for someone to make a movie about the musician John Forté? His life story certainly has the requisite sweep: Forté grew up fatherless and poor in Brownsville, Brooklyn, only to get a scholarship to one of the best prep schools in the country, Phillips Exeter. He received a Grammy nomination for his work with the Fugees, then embarked on a critically acclaimed solo career, before getting arrested at Newark Airport for carrying $1.4 million in liquid cocaine. He was sentenced to a mandatory 14 years in prison, served seven, and then had his sentence commuted in 2008 by George W. Bush at the urging of a pair of unlikely allies: the singer Carly Simon and the Republican Utah Senator Orrin Hatch.

“The Russian Winter,” which has its debut tonight at the Tribeca Film Festival, is a documentary about Forté, but it has very little to do with the Fugees, jail, Carly Simon or growing up poor in Brooklyn. Instead, this strangely moving film, which Forté co-produced, centers around a nine-week music-making journey that he took across Russia in 2011 — a trip for which he had to obtain special permission from his parole officer….

East WillyB, a multicultural, comedic series, that explores the beauty, humor, and tensions when cultures collide in the face of New York City’s gentrification, launched a $50,000 kickstarter campaign on April 13, 2012, the one year anniversary of their pilot release. The series, shot on location in Bushwick, Brooklyn, centers around second-generation Puerto Rican, Willie Reyes Jr., who, with the help of his community, tries desperately to keep the family bar in business in the face of the hipster invasion of his neighborhood. The series’ six episode pilot season premiered to critical acclaim in April 2011, garnering over 30 pieces of press across TV, print, and online media and over 100,000 views to date. The series has been one of the most successful independent series created for the New Generation English-dominant Latino.

Despite the immense success of the series, the creative team has still struggled to finance a full season. “We’ve pitched multiple networks for the past two years, and we’ve heard everything from ‘your series is too high brow for Latinos,’ to ‘its too Puerto Rican,’ to ‘you’re just too early.’ We’ve decided to stay independent and finance ourselves, because we believe the new generation Latino is hungry for content that challenges the stereotypes we so regularly see in the media,” said co-creator Julia Ahumada Grob. Because the Kickstarter campaign is circumventing traditional private equity film finance models, Grob observed, “if this effort is successful, East WillyB will be a series funded by an entire community that shares our sentiment that these stories need to be told.”

On Kickstarter, individuals receive rewards in exchange for supporting a project. Backers who pledge $25 to the East WillyB campaign will be sent a personalized postcard signed by the cast; $50 nets a backer digital download of an original song from the series sung by East WillyB star and vocal genius Flaco Navaja, and $500 yields a walk on role on and an invitation to the wrap party. However, if the East WillyB fundraiser does not reach its goal, all pledges will be cancelled, and a series offering audiences a glimpse into the life of the Urban Latino community will not be made.

The series has grown immensely from its Pilot Season to the season it intends to fund through Kickstarter. “We have learned a lot from our fans,” shares co-creator and filmmaker Yamin Segal, “ so our first season reflects their desire to see longer episodes.” If successful, the Kickstarter funded Season will feature twelve 7-9 minute episodes, broken down into three episode narrative arcs. The full Season will have the opportunity to be distributed online via 7-9 minute episodes, licensed to TV via four 22 minute episodes, and distributed in full as a 91 minute feature film. “We hope to challenge the idea that socially-conscious media featuring Latino characters is not profitable by creating an innovative distribution model that could be used by other independent creators,” explains Segal.

“We’ve made it this far with no money, thanks to the passion and hard work of our amazing cast and crew, the support of Latino media sites and bloggers, and our incredible fans nationally and internationally,” celebrated Grob, “Just imagine the impact we could make with $50,000.”

Bob Marley’s universal appeal, impact on music history and role as a social and political prophet is both unique and unparalleled. MARLEY is the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best.

From Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald (One Day In September, The Last King of Scotland) comes the story of a towering figure of musical history, whose music and message has transcended different cultures, languages and creeds to resonate around the world today as powerfully as when he was alive.

MARLEY will make its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival this month followed by its North American premiere at SXSW. Magnolia Pictures will release theatrically and on VOD on Friday, April 20th

Homeboy Sandman – “The Miracle”