Love & Basketball

Two individuals are playing basketball outdoors. One individual is holding a basketball in an outstretched arm while the other is attempting to block or steal the ball. The basketball hoop and backboard are visible in the background, and the scene is set

Added to the National Film Registry in 2023, Love & Basketball is acclaimed American filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood’s directorial debut feature and celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Love & Basketball stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps as Monica Wright and Quincy McCall, young basketball prodigies growing up in South Central Los Angeles. Lifelong neighbors and competitors, their all-consuming passion for basketball slowly blossoms into romance. The two continue to challenge and support each other as their careers progress through high school and college, but the pressures and pitfalls of being a star athletes take a toll on their relationship — and their love of the game. Originally released in 2000, the film's sensitive and stylish depiction of gender politics and athletics remains groundbreaking, with cinematography and a structure that feels deeply rooted in Gina Prince-Bythewood's own experience as an elite athlete.

Professor Samantha Sheppard, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies and Chair in the Department of Performing & Media Arts, will introduce the screening on Saturday, February 8.

Part of our "New Visions, New Voices" series. Courtesy of New Line Cinema and Swank Motion Pictures.