Indie Film on Local Pickup Basketball
“Ballin’ at the Graveyard” was described as “a gritty and intimate look into the culture and community of pickup basketball as told by a group of hardcore ballers.”
Kentoffio and Anastassiou are first time filmmakers. The discussion began with a background of the film itself.
Anastassiou described his own involvement with pickup basketball and how he found Washington Park in Albany to be great for basketball when he moved to Albany over 20 years ago.
He described how, before filming, a script, cast, and set list had already been created for a different narrative type piece.
Anastassiou told Kentoffio that there was a story in Washington Park and that they should try to do a documentary on the pickup games.
Kentoffio, not ever exposed to the pickup games, was “struck with the intensity and emotion [on the court].” They agreed that there was more than just basketball happening on the courts with great characters.
Anastassiou said the film will “take [you] inside the way pickup basketball happens.” He said the game is “very intricate” and the film is a “tutorial in real life basketball.” The film is not only about basketball but also about people and community.
After the discussion of the film, the discussion focused on three of the five men on stage that played basketball at Washington Park and how the film affected their lives.
The first man, “Boozer,” spoke of how the film allowed him to reveal things that, as a shy guy, he had not revealed to his closest friends.
Speaker Jemel Wood expressed his gratitude to Anastassiou and Kentoffio for allowing him the opportunity to apologize for his wrongs in life and for giving him a chance for “spiritual cleansing.”
Although the film is not available for purchase currently, Kentoffio mentioned the possibilities of distribution in the future. The film will be playing locally next month for those who wish to see it.