Director/Writer : Erica Eng
Language: English
Genre: Coming of Age, Sports Drama
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, 16-year-old basketball player Erin struggles to find her place after costing her all-Asian summer league team the finals. Cast out, she joins her high school’s championship team — but her ego takes a hit going from starter on her old team to benchwarmer on her new one. As she navigates rivalries, friendships, and family responsibilities, Erin discovers what it truly means to belong both on and off the court.

Summary: Erin, a whisper-rapping Chinese American baller, is confident on the court, yet so desperately wants to belong amongst her all-Asian team. On the day of her Asian League summer tournament, Erin’s need to prove herself takes over in a crucial game, and her risky plays cost her team a semifinal spot — getting her kicked off the team just before her sophomore year.

Shaken, Erin confides in David, her childhood friend and rising basketball star – but he warns her that she won’t survive on Skyline High School’s championship team. Determined, Erin tries out anyway, facing shade as a newbie from current teammates. Erin earns a spot and quickly realizes that she has much to prove – once a starter, now a benchwarmer. Luckily, she strikes a bond with Steph, a former second-string player who shows her the ropes.

An outsider on the court, Erin’s school and home-life are no different. At school, Erin navigates her low social status with her best friend Karolyn, whose quiet ambition to join the Asian Baby Girl Clique, leaves Erin feeling excluded. At home, Erin loses her bedroom to her grandmother, Nee Nee, who’s battling Alzheimer’s. With her parents working long hours, Erin reluctantly takes care of her, but they slowly form a special bond.

Even at her lowest, Erin struggles to find her footing increases when Skyline hits a losing streak and the team starts blaming the new players. Determined to prove herself, Erin pushes herself in training, earning the respect of her teammates. Her bond with Steph grows closer – until their coach notices her progress and introduces her into the starting lineup, replacing Steph.

Finally, Erin’s confidence grows on the court – but she begins neglecting her friendship with Karolyn and her responsibilities to Nee Nee, who suffers a dangerous fall. To make amends, she takes her grandmother to Chinatown, deepening their bond as they confront feelings of displacement.

Now, back on track, the Skyline advances to the finals and Erin grows closer to the team, even cornrowing her hair to match them – but Steph’s resentment builds. During the finals, Steph makes a few risky plays causing the team to lose their lead. With seconds left, Coach subs Erin for Steph, and Erin sinks the game-winning shot – a moment of glory that leaves Steph slighted. Tensions finally explode when Steph confronts Erin after the game – leading to a fight between friends and Erin with a black eye.

The next day, Erin takes out her cornrows and returns to her old self, no longer a try-hard. Worried about being ostracized, she’s surprised when her teammates respect her for handling herself in the fight - giving Erin the acceptance she needed.

In the end, Erin and Steph make amends during a heartfelt moment at their championship dinner. She says a bittersweet goodbye to Nee Nee, who moves to a care facility where she feels at home, and shares a quiet moment with Karolyn, accepting that their friendship has grown apart. Erin finds her place by simply being herself.

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.

I’m passionate about telling this story because there’s a huge lack of sports films centered around women of color. As a storyteller, I want to fill that gap by showcasing female sports in a way that we haven’t seen before – raw, intense, and unapologetic, without being softened by romance or comedy. I want audiences to feel the gruffness of the game, and the grit in the female athletes as they push themselves on the court. 

Women’s basketball is on the rise, with new teams forming and the sport capturing a wider audience than ever before, fueled by stars like Caitlin Clark. The New York Times reports that this popularity isn’t just amongst a female fan base, but amongst men and young boys, too. So now is the time to tell this story because there’s an audience and a hunger for it. We’re craving stories that reflect intensity, ambition, and identity – especially for young women who haven’t yet seen themselves centered this way

And as our world becomes more diverse, so do our struggles with identity. I wrote this film because I felt caught between two worlds – not feeling Chinese enough, yet not feeling fully American.

After releasing the short film, I realized this is no longer just my story – this is everyone’s story. Whether they were Puerto Rican / Mexican, or Trinidadian / American, I was deeply moved when people across many cultures told me they resonated with the same feelings I struggled with as a Chinese American. This story is so relevant and relatable that the film continues to be shown in high schools across the country as part of their curriculum. My goal has always been to tell a story that makes you feel – regardless of your age or cultural background.

I’m the one to tell this story because this is my story. As the only Asian player on an all-Black team, I want to showcase my experiences from the inside – with nuance, complexity, and humor – rather than as an outsider explaining diversity. I think it’ll be powerful to show women of color navigating a space as themselves, where conflicts arise from ego rather than race, and diversity is simply the norm. I want audiences to see and experience how I grew up in Oakland – where social dynamics weren’t centered around whiteness. Instead, we focused on the opposite: how can we be more culturally proud, and rep where we’re from? The dilemma I faced as a 5th-generation Chinese American is that I didn’t know where I was from… besides Oakland.

At its core, Americanized is a story about acceptance. While it’s deeply rooted in my own personal experience, the emotional throughline of struggling to find your sense of self is universal. Through this film, I aim to fill the gap in sports stories and portray female athletes in a way we’ve never seen before – and I want audiences to walk away feeling seen, inspired, and empowered to embrace who they truly are.