This close-up encounter with NBA star Jeremy Lin was in the works long before he exploded onto the scene in February 2012. “Not just a stirring sports drama but also a classic immigrant-family success story.” — Hollywood Reporter
Screened as part of NZIFF 2013
Linsanity 2013
“When pro basketball player Jeremy Lin burst into the national consciousness in a flurry of record-setting games with the New York Knicks last winter, most fans – and even many sports professionals – had little clue about who he even was. While a surge of global enthusiasm, quickly dubbed ‘Linsanity’, pushed him to international celebrity, in reality Lin was struggling for the opportunity to sign a multi-year NBA contract. Chinese- American filmmaker Evan Jackson Leong already was shooting a documentary about Lin’s career well before the stardom stage, which allows him to bring an insider’s perspective to one of the NBA’s most memorable career starts… With a mix of personal interviews – including extensive on-camera discussions with Lin, combined with more informal scenes – home-video footage from Lin’s childhood and clips from his high school and college careers, as well as game-play commentary from ESPN and other broadcasters, Leong has assembled a film that’s not just a stirring sports drama but also a classic immigrant-family success story.” — Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter