DOIN' IT IN THE PARK

MAYSLES CINEMA PREMIERE THEATRICAL RUN, HARLEM, NYC 343 Lenox...

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:57:12 -0400

MAYSLES CINEMA PREMIERE THEATRICAL RUN, HARLEM, NYC

343 Lenox Avenue (between 127th/128th St.). Showtime 7:30pm every night thru May 28.

Matinees Saturday May 25 and Sunday May 26 at 4pm.

Info: http://www.mayslesinstitute.org/cinema/calendar.html

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/366468

Full calendar of US/worldiwde screenings: www.doinitinthepark.com/screenings

Don’t see your town? Create/promote a screenings at your local theater or venue: www.tugg.com/titles/doinitinthepark

MAY 26, 2013 POLAND PREMIERE Klub Puzzle, Przejscie Gancarskie...

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:42 -0400

MAY 26, 2013

POLAND PREMIERE

Klub Puzzle, Przejscie Gancarskie 2, Wroclaw. Showtime 4pm.

Tickets: doin.it.the.park.pl@gmail.com

Full calendar: www.doinitinthepark.com/screenings

Don’t see your town? Create/promote a screening at your local theater: www.tugg.com/titles/doinitinthepark!

MAY 26, 2013 SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL PREMIERE Parque Da Juventude....

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:48:11 -0400

MAY 26, 2013

SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL PREMIERE

Parque Da Juventude. Showtime 6pm. Free

Full calendar: www.doinitinthepark.com/screenings

Don’t see your town? Create/promote a screening at your local theater: www.tugg.com/titles/doinitinthepark!

MAY 22-28, 2013 US THEATRICAL PREMIERE @ MAYSLES CINEMA, HARLEM,...

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:58:24 -0400

MAY 22-28, 2013

US THEATRICAL PREMIERE @ MAYSLES CINEMA, HARLEM, NYC

343 Lenox Avenue (between 127th/128th St.). Showtime 7:30pm every night May 22 thru May 28.

Matinees Saturday May 25 and Sunday May 26 at 4pm.

Info: http://www.mayslesinstitute.org/cinema/calendar.html

Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/366468

SAN FRANCISCO (CA) PREMIERE MAY 16, 2013 PRESENTED BY MASSIVE...

Wed, 15 May 2013 14:09:32 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO (CA) PREMIERE MAY 16, 2013

PRESENTED BY MASSIVE SELECTOR

Clay Theatre, 2261 Fillmore Street. Showtime 8pm.

Directors Q&A to follow.

Info: Facebook.com

Tickets: http://diitpmovie.eventbrite.com

OAKLAND (CA) PREMIERE MAY 17-22, 2013

PRESENTED BY BROAKLYN FILM CO., FRESCO, & TOP TEN SOCIAL

The New Parkway Theater, 474 24th Street. Showtime 7pm on 5/17; 3:30pm on 5/18; 9:15pm on 5/20-22. Directors Q&A to follow on 5/17 only.

Info: Facebook.com

Tickets: http://doinoak-zvents.eventbrite.com

DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK WORLD TOUR: MEXICO CITY Words by Bobbito Garcia, Visuals by Kevin Couliau. On...

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:23:00 -0400

DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK WORLD TOUR: MEXICO CITY

Words by Bobbito Garcia, Visuals by Kevin Couliau.

On May 11th, 2013, our film DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC premiered in Mexico City as a free outdoor event, presented by Nike Sportswear Mexico. Co-director Kevin Couliau and I were flown in to do a Q&A as well as play ball at the city’s top courts!

Since the 1980s, I’ve always loved watching pick-up games with exclusively Mexican-born adult players at the Goat (where I grew up) or the White Park (in Spanish Harlem). The pace is fast with lots of passing, and their families spectate so there’s always a fun, festive vibe.

Popotla a.k.a. “Cañita,” one of the parks Kevin and I visited in Mexico City, had a similar air. There were five full courts, one with 8’ biddy rims, and every single one had players on it! The youth tournament had a crowd. Teams with next were shooting on the sides. Army soldiers took turns missing jumpers while laughing. Small children dribbled off their feet and chased the ball with joy as their parents watched.

I spotted a player hitting 15 footers by himself, and asked, “Puedo tirar contigo?” I nailed a couple myself, so he challenged me to a game of 21. As he explained the rules I got excited, as their version was not too far off from the one we play back home! I won by one point, and afterwards invited him to our film premiere. He then jubilantly explained that he ran his own youth program, and valued teaching his players the fundamentals of team play. I appreciated his spirit. Real sincere.

After Kevin and I finished our interview for the popular blog The City Loves You , two teenagers from the tournament noticed we could play and challenged us to a 2-on-2. Gotta love their hustle! I used to do the same thing when I was a kid and a stranger would come to the Goat. (That’s how I got waxed by U. of Dayton star Roosevelt Chapman in the ‘80s, but that’s another story.) The camera was rolling so we gave them their money’s worth. One kid had a little handle so I dapped him up after we won. Nothing but respect all around.

Another playground we hit was Glorieta Insurgentes, with seven rims each with a colorfully painted backboard! Some older players were having a grand old time playing casual after-work halfcourt. One had beautiful form on his jumper, and told me he had played college ball.

The courts at Multifamiliar Centro Medico were empty, but the out of bounds were alive with 20+ capoeira dancers. There were 10’ high pieces on the wall by local aerosol artists. Place was striking.

Across the street was Cuauhtemoc Park where I watched a furious 3-on-3. A defender felt so strongly about a bad call, he threw the ball 50 feet away instead of handing it to his opponent. I thought that only happened at West 4^th and in Brooklyn! Ha ha.
This was a far cry from the friendly vibe I’d experienced my whole life watching Mexican players at the Goat and had seen during our visit. A stray dog strutted on to the court and a player on the side hurriedly chased him off. I shot around on the side with a player who had next. When he’d hit, I’d give him courtesy and the ball back. When I’d hit, he’d wander off the court or wouldn’t rebound, and when he did he wouldn’t give me the ball back!

If Cuauhtemoc seemed edgy, it was a cake walk compared to what Kevin and I witnessed at Juan de la Barrera, a playground with four full courts which was hosting a 3-on-3 tournament, presented by Nike, named in our honor! The contestants were by far the most skilled Mexican-born players I’d ever seen, but unfortunately, they were fouling the hey out of each other! The championship was so rough, the refs had to stop play repeatedly to prevent a fight from breaking out (including the fans who would run on the court to protect their friends).

Amazingly, after the contest it was all love, especially for the winners who were awarded free sneakers and other goodies. That was fortunate for us, too, as our free DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK screening followed, and the audience as well as ballplayers filled up the stairs in front the outdoor screen to watch.

Judging from the crowd’s glowing reaction to our premiere (a local TV network approached us afterwards about a broadcast), along with our brief experiences in the local parks, it was clear to me that Mexico City has a love affair with outdoor basketball. Although futbol is by far the number one sport, I was told that there are more public b-ball courts than soccer fields available, and that there are lights for night-time play allowing for games sun up past sun down.

According to Julio Arellano, who was our “guía,” Mexico City even had their own playground legend in Febo Apolo, who dominated the pick-up scene so hard that he wound up playing in the Liga Mexicana without ever having played in college!

Arellano also proudly shared the history of Mexico’s greatest legend Arturo Guerrero a.k.a. “Mano Santo” (“Holy Hand”), who held the record of 52 points in a single Liga Mexicana game and was among the top scorers for all countries at the 1968 Olympics, where the National Team finished fifth. Long before Horacio Llamas, Eduardo Najera, and Gustavo Ayon sipped coffee in the NBA, Guerrero allegedly turned down numerous offers to play in the world’s top league, as it would have conflicted with his year round duties for Mexico’s National Team. Now that’s dedication!

All in all, Kevin and I had an amazing trip. ESPN Mexico interviewed us along with every major local newspaper, TV station, and blog. We did a private press screening which was standing room only. I was told that 100% of the RSVPs actually attended (which is way higher than the norm). We caught a round of applause at our free outdoor screening and signed autographs afterwards, which is always crazy to me to realize that our film is making on impact on people around the world.

My favorite moment of the entire visit though was back at Cuauhtemoc Park. On one of the side courts, I was watching from a far a proud father rebound for his daughter while she tried endlessly it seemed to make a 10 footer in the lane. A couple of attempts later, the ball went in, she raised her hands, turned away from the basket, and shouted out in joy. It was only then that I realized that the young girl had down syndrome …

The whole message and point of our trip crystallized. Kevin Couliau and I made DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK to advocate people worldwide, young and old, healthy and challenged, free and incarcerated, of all backgrounds and nationalities, to play pick-up outdoors for all the positives that result. I love the NBA, but it’s only for 450 athletes to participate in annually. The park, playground, schoolyard, etc. is free and open to all.

Play ball outdoors. Work hard. Have fun.

Bobbito Garcia and Kevin Couliau will be screening DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC this summer in South Africa, China, Philippines, and Europe. The film also opens in US and UK theaters this week, and the digital download/stream is on sale now. For all info, check www.doinitinthepark.com.

NETHERLANDS PREMIERE MAY 13, 2013 Royal Theater, Stationspein...

Sun, 12 May 2013 17:54:53 -0400

NETHERLANDS PREMIERE MAY 13, 2013

Royal Theater, Stationspein 3-5, Heerlen. Showtime 9pm.

Tickets: www.royaltheaters.nl

To see our entire schedule of upcoming screenings, visit www.doinitinthepark.com/screenings. Don’t see your town? Create/promote your own screening at a local theater: www.tugg.com/titles/doinitinthepark!

THE APPAREL, THE MOVEMENT

Mon, 06 May 2013 19:09:57 -0400

APPAREL AVAILABLE NOW ON DOINITINTHEPARK.COM

Back in June 2010, when Bobbito Garcia and I got on our bikes to explore New York City’s basketball culture, we didn’t really know where it would lead us. On May 1, 2013, we gave life to an 85 minute documentary that revealed the essence of the game as well as the common denominator that unifies every ballplayer on earth: pick-up ball.

Niki Avery aka “Lil’ Ratchet”.

Milani Malik aka “M&M”.

A great way to join the movement and promote basketball on your local playground is to rock a Doin’ It In The Park t-shirt. You can’t go wrong! We are really excited to launch this first set of Stencil Logo tees. They are a pure New York product. We collaborated with a legendary printer down in Brooklyn and chose great quality in materials (made in USA), so you won’t be disappointed.

Muhammad Karim

Since we are not selling these t-shirts to stay home and play video games, we called our good friend Jon Lopez, a photographer and ballplayer, to capture our apparel in action. DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK key interviewees Niki Avery and Milani Malik were kind enough to join the photo shoot and battle our Open Run regulars Roman Perez, Jhensen Ortiz and Muhammad Karim at PS 84 a.k.a. Sol Bloom Playground in Manhattan.

Play ball outdoors. Work hard. Have fun!

MAY 11, 2013 DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK WORLD TOUR, MEXICO...

Sun, 05 May 2013 10:17:00 -0400

MAY 11, 2013

DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK WORLD TOUR, MEXICO CITY

PRESENTED BY NIKE

Gimnasio Juan De La Barrera. Showtime 8pm. Directors Q&A to follow.

doinitinthepark@tcly.mx

MAY 4, 2013 SCREENING @ NEW MUSEUM IDEAS CITY EXHIBIT, NYC 235...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:54:00 -0400

MAY 4, 2013

SCREENING @ NEW MUSEUM IDEAS CITY EXHIBIT, NYC

235 Bowery (between Prince and Stanton St.). Showtime 8pm. Directors Q&A to follow.

Tickets: Newmuseum.org

To see our entire schedule of upcoming screenings, visit www.doinitinthepark.com/screenings. Don’t see your town? Create/promote your own screening at a local theater at www.tugg.com/titles/doinitinthepark!

DELETED SCENE: PEE WEE KIRKLAND’S...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:26:23 -0400

DELETED SCENE: PEE WEE KIRKLAND’S $10,000 1-ON-1

Rucker legend Pee Wee Kirkland played a 1-on-1 game with $10,000 on the line. Who you think won?!

This scene didn’t make the final cut of DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC, but you can watch what footage we did use starting May 1 via digital download/stream right here at doinitinthepark.com! We can not wait to share our incredible journey with all of you.

DELETED SCENE: “WHOOP, WHOOP, THAT’S THE SOUND OF...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:25:47 -0400

DELETED SCENE: “WHOOP, WHOOP, THAT’S THE SOUND OF THE POLICE!”

Although playing pick-up in the park is a safe haven for many, anything can happen at any moment.

DELETED SCENE: “ONE SHOT, ONE KILL” W. PLO At St. James Park in...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:47:43 -0400

DELETED SCENE: “ONE SHOT, ONE KILL” W. PLO

At St. James Park in the Bronx, PLO rules the local “One Shot, One Kill” game and challenges anyone with his statement, “Where’s your name, lame?!”

Summer of 2011. Cherry Tree Playground, Spanish Harlem. Milani...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:50:10 -0400

Summer of 2011. Cherry Tree Playground, Spanish Harlem. Milani Malik was hitting jumpers left and right, but on this drive to the hole, her shot was punched to the fence by an equal opportunity defender.

DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK … a block party every day of the week.

DELETED SCENE: “BABY CARRIAGE PICK” W. JACK...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:13:48 -0400

DELETED SCENE: “BABY CARRIAGE PICK” W. JACK “BLACK JACK” RYAN

Using a baby carriage as a pick to get open for a jumper sounds incredulous, but Jack “Black Jack” Ryan retells a true story of how he did it!

This scene didn’t make the final cut of DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC, but you can watch what footage we did use starting May 1 via digital download/stream right here at doinitinthepark.com! We can not wait to share our incredible journey with all of you.

DELETED SCENE: “WHAT’S MY NAME?!” Nelson...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:14:45 -0400

DELETED SCENE: “WHAT’S MY NAME?!”

Nelson Park (Bronx) historian Mark Norman a.k.a. “The Movie” was explaining the art of the crossover, then got distracted! His hilarious character shined during our interview.

OFFICIAL THEATRICAL POSTER ART! We hope you love our new poster,...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 23:41:00 -0400

OFFICIAL THEATRICAL POSTER ART!

We hope you love our new poster, designed by the good people at 360 Creative, our co-producers, and their star Richard Bertetic in Paris. The art features a photo by co-director Kevin Couliau taken in Lefrak City, Queens, on Kenny Smith’s court. Please share!

Our film will be in theaters May 22. Locations and showtimes to be announced here on www.doinitinthepark.com soon. Stay tuned :)

Summer of 2011. West 4th St. a.k.a. The Cage, Manhattan. Malloy...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:55:08 -0400

Summer of 2011. West 4th St. a.k.a. The Cage, Manhattan. Malloy “The Future” Nesmith made his defender pay for leaving him open. The Rucker legend from the Bronx is a regular at the world’s most famous outdoor court for pick-up, even on days when no one can guard him.

DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK … where legends and local park regulars go head to head.

DELETED SCENE: DAVE ZIRIN “I LANDED ON THE BACK OF MY...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 23:28:00 -0400

DELETED SCENE: DAVE ZIRIN “I LANDED ON THE BACK OF MY HEAD”

SLAM Magazine columnist Dave Zirin shares an improbable tale. You decide whether it’s true or not!

DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK … storytelling at its best.

DELETED SCENE: “THE BROOKLYN SMACK DOWN” Summer of...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:35:00 -0400

DELETED SCENE: “THE BROOKLYN SMACK DOWN”

Summer of 2010. Dean Street, Brooklyn. Our camera didn’t quite get the welcome we hoped by a player waiting for “next.” Of the 180 courts we filmed, not all were friendly, particularly in BK which happens to have the toughest rep on the court.

This scene didn’t make the final cut of DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC, but you can watch what footage we did use starting May 1 via digital download/stream right here at doinitinthepark.com! We can not wait to share our incredible journey with all of you.