“Handle With Care: The Legend of the Notic Streetball Crew,” a documentary chronicling the rise, fall and rebirth of Canadian streetball collective The Notic, has been acquired by Gravitas Ventures, which has picked up worldwide rights and set a March 26 release date.
Gravitas —an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company —has also unveiled a new trailer for the film, which was nominated for three Canadian Screen Awards, made its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival and won the True North Audience Award and the Best BC Film Award.
“Handle With Care” follows the emergence of Vancouver streetball crew The Notic in the early 2000s. While their creative basketball moves brought them global fame as teenagers, it set them at odds with the status quo in a battle involving self-expression, race and rejection. Driven by a 20-year quest to finish their mixtape trilogy, the documentary charts how the group of friends played outside the confines of the NBA yet still left an indelible imprint on the game forever.
Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux and Kirk Thomas, the original filmmakers behind the first two Notic mixtapes, directed the feature, which was produced by Ryan Sidhoo along with TELUS Originals, RTG Features and Victory Creative Group. NBA All-Star Chris Paul and Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA executive produce alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort, two of Canada’s brightest NBA stars, in addition to CJ Paul and Juanita Thompson of Ohh Dip!!! Productions.
The film features Notic streetball crew members Joey “King Handles” Haywood, Rory “Disaster” Grace, Jonathan “Johnny Blaze” Mubanda, Jermaine “Fresh” Foster, Andrew “6 Fingaz” Liew, David “Dazzle” Mubanda, Dauphin “Delight” Ngongo, Jamal “Whereyouat?” Parker and Mohammed “Goosebumps” Wenn.
“Gravitas Ventures is a champion of great documentary films and we’re excited to have them on board to release the true story of street basketball’s greatest brotherhood,” said directors Schaulin-Rioux and Thomas. “Streetball heads and basketball fans around the world have been waiting 20 years for the return of The Notic, and we can’t wait to show them the creativity, passion and perseverance of this amazing crew.”
Added Bill Guentzler, vice president of acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures: “From VHS mixtapes to film festivals to soon audiences around the world, we are incredibly proud to be releasing ‘Handle With Care.’ Jeremy and Kirk have crafted a beautiful film that’s two decades in the making, and we can’t wait for this current generation of basketball fans to discover the untold story of The Notic.”
The rights deal was brokered by Guentzler at Gravitas Ventures and by Aron Phillips at RTG Features on behalf of the filmmakers.
See the latest trailer below.
