Project Type: U.S. Shorts to Features
Genre: Narrative - Coming of Age
Director/Writer : Erica Eng
Status: Early-Development
Language: English
Seeking: Producer and/or Production Company looking for scripts to produce.

Logline: In 2000s Oakland, a Chinese American basketball player fights to earn her place on the high school team, only to lose herself along the way.
Synopsis: In 2000s Oakland, Erin’s search for belonging falters when she costs her Asian American basketball team the finals. Cast out, she joins her high school team as a benchwarmer, where rivalries ignite and friendships break. Erin must navigate the pressures of the court and the weight of her own self-doubt to discover who she is.

Artist Statement: Growing up as a fifth-generation Chinese American meant growing up very “American.” I had a hard time understanding my Chinese identity because my family didn’t speak the language, cook the food, or practice many of the traditions. I felt so separated from the culture that I didn’t feel “Chinese” - I just felt lost.

To some, “Americanized” means to adapt to White-American culture; but for me growing up in Oakland, it meant being a part of hip-hop and urban American culture. This perspective is reflected in the main character’s braids, her unconventional family dynamic, and the Bay Area slang the characters use. We are painting a picture of what the bay looks like that goes beyond what we’ve seen before, in order to give context to why this character’s identity developed the way that it did.

Although the underlying theme of this film is cultural identity, the universal theme is a coming-of-age story about acceptance. This is a film that anyone can identify with. We’ll see our character try to become everything that she’s not, only because she wants to be accepted at the end of the day.

Accountability Statement: This film is deeply personal and largely inspired by my own experiences struggling with identity and belonging. Because the film is set within both Asian and Black communities in Oakland, it’s been important from the start to approach the story with care and accountability. I’ve shared drafts with trusted readers from both backgrounds to ensure the characters feel nuanced and authentic, avoiding assumptions or stereotypes.

My intention is never to portray race as the reason these characters do or don’t get along. This is ultimately a story about friendship, and the lengths we go to in order to feel like we belong - whether it’s on a basketball team, within our cultural communities, or among our peers. I’m committed to continuing to build a team around this project that reflects the communities represented on screen, both in front of and behind the camera.