To commemorate the premier of “On The Shoulders of Giants,” a new documentary that looks the history of professional basketball through the prism of the Harlem Rens, a pioneering basketball team from the late 1930s, Calabash Animation (www.calabashanimation.com) Co-Owner/Executive Producer Sean Henry will appear on a panel following the a screening of the film at Chicago’s Gene Siskel Theater on Friday, January 21st. Calabash Animation was responsible for several animated sequences in the film.
Appearing alongside Henry will be Rev. Jesse Jackson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (producer of the film CK), Stedman Graham and Chicago Bulls owner/GM Jerry Reinsdorf.
Click here for more info about ”On The Shoulders of Giants” and to see a trailer for the film: http://kareemabduljabbar.com/osg/.
“To be asked to participate on the panel like this is truly an honor,” Henry says. ”The film makes a very powerful statement about not only the history of professional basketball but about the history of race relations in America and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
“On the Shoulders of Giants” honors the greatest basketball team you’ve never heard of — a group of sports pioneers who have been all but forgotten to time, and it celebrates the legacy of a magical game. Basketball today is a star sport, with the highly paid players, endorsements and a huge fan base. But that wasn’t always the case. In the beginning, those who tried to make a living at it, black or white, had a hardscrabble life. But one immigrant from the West Indies, Bob Douglas, loved the new sport of basketball and was determined to make it profitable. To do this, he would not only have to fight for the game itself, but against the rampant racism that was determined to see him fail. His team, the New York Renaissance Big Five, affectionately known as the Harlem Rens, became the embodiment of a new attitude among African Americans who fought to be recognized for their abilities rather than for the color of their skin. They were the precursors to those brave men and women who, twenty years later, would found the Civil Rights Movement.
In addition to the Chicago event, the film will also be screened next month in Newark, NJ and Los Angeles. It will also be available on most cable services via Video-On-Demand on Tuesday, February 15th.
About Calabash Animation:
Led by Creative Director Wayne Brejcha and Executive Producer Sean Henry, Calabash Animation, Inc. (www.calabashanimation.com) is the Chicago, IL-based animation production studio, known for its award-winning cel, 3D and stop-motion animation for the advertising and entertainment industries. Calabash Animation is perhaps best known for their creative development of some of America’s most beloved brand icons. In addition to working on some of today’s top advertising the company has also produced several acclaimed short films. It’s 2002 short ”Stubble Trouble” was nominated for an Academy Award in 2002. Its most recent film “Botnik” appeared at numerous film festivals throughout 2008-2009.
