The documentary film "Linsanity" will premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20 at The MARC in Park City, Utah.
Directed by Evan Jackson Leong and narrated by Daniel Dae Kim ("Lost" and "Hawaii Five-0"), the documentary follows rising NBA star Jeremy Lin as he struggled to find his place in a league where Asian American players are few and far between.
"Linsanity" is described as an insightful study of the way we perceive race in America and shows what is possible if someone believes in himself."
The filmmakers are currently fundraising on Kickstarter. (To support the film visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/linsanitymovie/linsanity-the-movie)
Leong is a sixth-generation Chinese-American native of San Francisco. He has worked with his mentor, "Fast & Furious" director Justin Lin, on the indie hit "Better Luck Tomorrow," which screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. He also served as coproducer of Lin's mockumentary "Finishing the Game," which screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Leong directed two half-hour, nationally broadcast films: "Him Mark Lai: The People's Historian" and "Forging a Feature: The Journey of Better Luck Tomorrow." He recently completed his first feature-length documentary, "1040: Christianity in the New Asia"
Here's the "Linsanity" synopsis:
In February 2012, an entire nation of basketball fans unexpectedly went “Linsane.” Stuck in the mire of a disappointing season, the New York Knicks did what no other NBA team had thought about doing—they gave backup point guard Jeremy Lin an opportunity to prove himself.
He took full advantage, scoring more points in his first five NBA starts than any other player in the modern era, and created a legitimate public frenzy in the process. Prior to this now-legendary run, Lin had faced adversity in his career at every turn. He wasn’t offered a scholarship by any major university, nor was he drafted by any NBA team after a standout collegiate career at Harvard.
Director Evan Jackson Leong embarked on this documentary before Jeremy Lin was a household name, following the future star as he struggled to find his place in a league where Asian American players are few and far between. More than just a film for basketball addicts, Linsanity serves as an insightful study of the way we perceive race in America and shows what is possible if someone believes in himself.
"Linsanity" (2012, 88 minutes, color, U.S.A., Doc Premieres)
Director: Evan Jackson Leong
Executive Producers: James D. Stern, Patricia Sun, Sam Kwok
Producers: Christopher Chen, Brian Yang, Allen Lu
Cinematographer: Evan Jackson Leong
Editor: Greg Louie
Composer: Newton Brothers
Sound Editor: Wildfire Post
Principal Cast: Narrator: Daniel Dae Kim
For more info visit: http://www.linsanitythemovie.com
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