Streetballers is a 2009 independent film

Independent film

An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

 by Matthew Scott Krentz

Matthew Scott Krentz

Matthew Scott Krentz also known as Matt Krentz is an American director, producer and actor....

. The film tells the story of a friendship between two junior college basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 players, one black, one Irish-American, both trying to use streetball as their escape. Jacob Whitmore, the black player is played by former University of Missouri

University of Missouri

The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...

 basketball player Jimmy McKinney

Jimmy McKinney

Jimmy McKinney is an American professional basketball player and film actor.-Basketball career:Jimmy McKinney attended Vashon High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the leading scorer on Vashon's 2001 and 2002 basketball teams, both of which won Missouri state championships...

. Director Matthew Krentz plays the white basketball player John Hogan.

The film was shot in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

 with an entirely local cast and crew. Krentz is from Webster Groves, one of the city's inner-ring suburbs.

Plot

Two basketball players are drawn into the lures of crime and gambling on the courts of St. Louis, Missouri tough Northside neighborhoods. Constantly searching for sanity in the midst of alcoholism, racism, and drugs, John Hogan (played by the film director Matthew Scott Krentz)and Jacob Whitmore (played by Jimmy McKinney) find release and therapy while competing at one of the most competitive street courts in the U.S.

Both must spend an entire summer helping one another overcome adversity. Their dedication and love for the game of basketball transcend from the playground courts into each of their dysfunctional households, where the two boys played the constant role of father figure.

Jacob has no choice but to play in an underground league, constantly fighting to keep his cousin Damon out of debt and possible death. John’s overpowering guilt and family trauma erupt into a state of beautiful confusion with each spiritual intervention by Terry Gibson, a neighborhood boy killed in a drunk-driving accident.

Together, the two paint a sad and hopeful portrait with their innocence, concerns, and faith in the unknown.

Reception

Although the film opened in only two theaters, its per-screen opening weekend viewership was high. At more than $5700 per screen, it outstripped better-known films with nationwide showing such as Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth and penultimate novel in the Harry Potter series by British author J. K. Rowling...

 and G.I. Joe to rank ninth in the country in per-screen viewership.

The film made a similar per-screen showing during its opening weekend in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, taking 14th place in per-screen viewership, but grossing "more than $6,000".

Cast

• Jimmy McKinney
  Jimmy McKinney
  Jimmy McKinney is an American professional basketball player and film actor.-Basketball career:Jimmy McKinney attended Vashon High School in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the leading scorer on Vashon's 2001 and 2002 basketball teams, both of which won Missouri state championships...
  
   ... Jacob Whitmore
• Matt Krentz ... John Hogan
• Adrieanne Perez ... Sarah
• Eric Fletcher ... Terry Gibson
• Craig Thomas ... Damon
• Patrick Rooney ... Michael
• Justin Tatum ... Dante
• Caitlin Howley ... Caiti
• MaryBeth Scherr ... Kat
• Jordan Ward ... Ty
• Peggy Neely-Harris ... Auntie Rose
• Brian Lane ... Stepdad
• Craig Hawksley ... Mr. Henry
• Ryan Johnson ... Rufus
• Tracy Taylor ... UFC Fighter / Dante's Muscle
• Earl 'Easy' Leonard ... Dante's Muscle
• Mike Rodgers ... UFC Fighter
• James 'Slim' Cunningham ... Skinny Rick
• John Griffin ... Helicopter
• John Oden ... Big T
• Brandon Whitemore ... B
• Eric ... RW aka 'Re-Wind'

Awards

• Won Jury Award - Honorable Mention for Best Feature Film at the Hollywood Black Film Festival
  Hollywood Black Film Festival
  The Hollywood Black Film Festival, dubbed the "Black Sundance," is an annual six-day film festival held in Los Angeles, California dedicated to enhancing the careers of new and established black filmmaking professionals by bringing their work to the attention of the film industry, press and public....
  
   (2008)
• Won Audience Choice Award Best Feature Film at the St. Louis International Film Festival
  St. Louis International Film Festival
  The St. Louis International Film Festival is an annual film festival in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been running since 1992. The coordinating organization changed its name to "Cinema St. Louis" in 2003...
  
  (2008)
  • Also won Best Dramatic Feature prize at the same festival