Documentary "At All Costs" and Its North American Distribution Rights have been Acquired by XLrator Media
The AAU basketball system is responsible for the development of some of the biggest basketball stars in the country. NBA stars like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, and Dywane Wade all went through the AAU system before going to college or turning pro. A lot of the players in the ongoing NCAA tournament also went through the AAU system and the presence of those players on their respective teams influences their team’s March Madness online sportsbook odds.
According to reports, a documentary written and directed by Mike Nicoll that focuses on how the AAU system has professionalized youth basketball in the country has found a North American distributor in XLrator Media, who won the right to distribute the documentary.
The documentary, which is titles “At All Costs,” is based in the world of AAU basketball. At all costs follows Parker Jackson Cartwright and Gabe York, two highly recruited players from California. The documentary also follows their families and schools as they navigate the AAU world in pursuit of their dreams.
The documentary also follows Etop Udo-Ema, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Compton Magic, one of the top AAU programs in the country.
According to Barry Gordon, XLrator Media’s CEO, “At all Costs” is a very fascinating documentary that takes people behind the scenes, showing people the amount of hard work, dedication, training, and sacrifices that players and their families make while pursuing their dreams of playing basketball collegiately and professionally.
Etop Udo-Ema said, "AAU has assumed a vital role in the basketball culture at every level, from high school to college to the Pros. Every summer the nation's best players travel all over the country to play in front college and even NBA scouts - it has become an indispensable component of achieving success in the basketball world.
In addition to writing and directing the documentary, Mike Nicoll also serves as a producer along with Ian Ward and New MAN Media’s Nick Henry. Nicoll negotiated the deal to make XLrator Media the North American distributor of his documentary on behalf of the other filmmakers that worked on the documentary.
As previously mentioned, the documentary follows Parker Jackson Cartwright and Gabe York during their final summer at AAU camp before they go back to college in the fall. In addition to following Cartwright and York, the filmmakers also follow Etop Udo-Ema as he tries to coach his Compton Magic to an AAU Championship.
Although the documentary hasn’t been released yet, Cartwright and York recently participated in the 2016 NCAA Men’s tournament with the Arizona Wildcats. As a senior, Gabe York averaged 15 points 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in his final year in college. He will be eligible to enter the NBA Draft in June, but will likely be a second round pick.
According to Gordon, the documentary should be watched by any kid that has dreams of playing basketball collegiately or professionally because the road to the NBA starts with AAU basketball. For those interested in how the AAU program went from a grassroots program designed to help young players develop their game to becoming a multi-billion dollar industry, the documentary explains a lot of that as well.
