FOX Sports Films is excited to announce the premiere of "Shot in the Dark," February 24, 2018 on FOX. This second film in the MAGNIFY documentary series is produced by Los Angeles Media Fund, executive produced by Dwyane Wade and Chance the Rapper and directed by Dustin Nakao-Haider for Bogie Films, and in association with ZZ Productions. "Shot in the Dark" is scheduled to air at approximately 4:30 p.m. Eastern following Villanova vs. Creighton basketball.
"Basketball empowered me to overcome the challenges of growing up on the south side of Chicago," said Wade. "The odds were stacked against me, and the game changed the course of my life. It's important to share these true stories of triumph to inspire the next generation to achieve their dreams when faced with life's obstacles."
Set against their hometown of Chicago, the film follows Orr Academy's high school basketball team and its stars Tyquone Greer and Marquise Pryor as they aspire for greatness under inspirational head coach Lou Adams, facing systemic inequities that threaten to claim their future. Through incredible on and off-the-court challenges - from championship and collegiate aspirations to violence and incarceration -- they assess the daily voices and influences of teammates, friends and family on their next steps as young men.
"Shot in the Dark is an authentic and realistic look at high school sports in Chicago and what it means for our youth," adds Chance. "It's not really a game for some folks."
"Shot in the Dark grabbed our undivided attention from the very first frame," says Gabe Spitzer, Executive Producer, Fox Sports Films. "It's powerful to see athletes overcome unique personal challenges and then have the strength to empower and unify others. These are exactly the kinds of stories we want to tell through the 'Magnify' series."
MAGNIFY is a new feature-length documentary series, leveraging sports as a lens for examining important cultural stories. The films' deep explorations of athletes' on and off-the-field journeys connect to the challenges, change and unity that sports can bring to communities.
For added impact, Fox Sports Supports combines the power of the Fox Sports brand with the greatest sports in the world to make a difference, in countless lives. For "Shot in the Dark," the organization is partnering with Good Sports, which gives kids the lifelong benefits of sport and physical activity by providing brand new sports equipment, apparel, and footwear to those most in need. Anyone can visit goodsports.org/shotinthedark to donate to youth athletic programs in Chicago. Fox Sports will also host "Shot in the Dark" screenings at high schools around the country to increase awareness in communities.
"In connection to these powerful, sports and community narratives, we're committed to meaningfully working, within our Fox Sports Supports organization and alongside others, to help neighborhoods and schools capitalize on the awareness that 'Magnify' brings to the stories," says Charlie Dixon, Executive Vice President, Content at FOX Sports."
The next series documentary is "Nossa Chape," a film from Jeff and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars, Pelé: The Birth of a Legend) about the Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense's tragic 2016 plane crash in Colombia. The film has recently been accepted to the 2018 SXSW Film Festival in March.
The first documentary in the series "89 Blocks" debuted November 26, 2017 on FOX. The film was executive produced by SPORTS ILLUSTRATED with LeBron James and Maverick Carter's UNINTERRUPTED.
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing 21st Century FOX's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets. Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, Fox Sports includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. Fox Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; FS1, FS2; Fox Sports Regional Networks, their affiliated regional web sites and national programming; FOX Soccer Plus; FOX Deportes and FOX College Sports. In addition, Fox Sports also encompasses Fox Sports Digital, which includes FOXSports.com and Fox Sports GO. Also included in the Group are FOX's interests in joint-venture businesses Big Ten Network and BTN 2Go, as well as a licensing agreement that established the Fox Sports Radio Network.
LAMF was launched in September 2014 by Jeffrey Soros and Simon Horsman with a mandate to finance and produce an eclectic slate of highly commercial feature films with individual budgets of up to $50 million, as well as scripted and unscripted content for television and other platforms, and live events. LAMF recently wrapped production on JULIET, NAKED based on the Nick Hornby novel; directed by Jesse Peretz, it stars Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne and Chris O'Dowd, and is produced by Soros, Judd Apatow and Barry Mendel, Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa. LAMF's recent feature film releases include THE SPACE BETWEEN US, and the horror film, THE BYE BYE MAN. Netflix has acquired global rights for LAMF's dance comedy, STEP SISTERS, directed by Charles Stone (DRUMLINE), and Saban Films will release the Jim Carrey-starring thriller, DARK CRIME in 2018. LAMF has also formed a new entertainment company called Invent Media, to concentrate on the development, production and financing of unscripted series and other compelling content for television and OTT platforms, as well as the production of live events on a worldwide basis.
Bogie Films was founded in 2014 by filmmakers Dustin Nakao Haider, Daniel Dewes, David Raboy, and Eric K. Yue as a home for media-blending projects ranging from commercials to music videos and beyond. Along with the documentary feature "Shot in the Dark," directed by Dustin Nakao Haider, Bogie has produced art-driven music videos for Kelela, OKAY KAYA, Ratking and others, and is developing the narrative feature, The Giant, slated to shoot in Summer 2018.
Watch the trailer here:
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