Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1, the documentary that tells the origin story of the Air Jordan 1 shoe, will premiere as a Special Screening at the 17th annual Tribeca Film Festival. Directed and written by Dexton Deboree, the film follows the iconic shoe from its unlikely beginnings to its role in disrupting long-established rules of the NBA, changing the game of basketball, birthing sneaker culture and influencing a social and cultural revolution.
“We are honored to premiere our film at the Tribeca Film Festival for so many reasons. Los York, many of our film’s cast members and much of the story itself, are rooted in the culture of NYC and we are proud to introduce the true story of AJ1 to one of our hometowns,” Deboree exclaims. “The film captures the raw, rebellious, eclectic and diverse spirit of culture in and around basketball and beyond, something our film has very much in common with New York City. Nothing is more fitting than to premiere with Tribeca at the historic Beacon Theatre especially, this year where the lineup celebrates American diversity,” he adds.
The first feature documentary from Los York Entertainment, Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 is the true story about the shoe that changed the world. Through interviews with Spike Lee, Chuck D, Anthony Anderson, Michael B. Jordan, Lena Waithe, Kenya Barris, DJ Khaled, Aleali May and many more including Michael Jordan himself, this film explores the power of the AJ1 across social and political spectrums and how it has broken barriers between female and male fashion, self-expression, identity, empowerment and more.
Tribeca Film Festival has been the launching pad for many groundbreaking films including Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story, Nas: Time is Illmatic and most recently, Kobe Bryant’s Oscar®-Winning Animated Short Dear Basketball from acclaimed director Glen Keane.
“At Tribeca we are always looking for documentaries that shift our perspectives to tell us stories in new and exciting ways,” said Cara Cusumano, Director of Programming, Tribeca Film Festival. “The enduring cultural impact of the AJ1 is an entertaining, thrilling, surprising ride, and one that we can’t wait to share with audiences at the Beacon on April 27th.”