One of my favourite things about TIFF is the enthusiasm and excitement generated at a premiere screening by a first time filmmaker, when the project that has been the passionate focus of their lives for so long finally receives it?s moment in the spotlight. Family and friends fly in for support and invariably lend the jam-packed screening a hyped-up party atmosphere. The first Festival screening Saturday afternoon of Kristopher Belman's moving, personal and inspirational film More Than a Game was certainly no exception, despite the exceptional nature of the film and the talent involved. 

It was a humbling reminder of the emotional power of film to see NBA superstar LeBron James - a phenom so incredibly accomplished in his own field - as overcome as any low budget independent filmmaker by the premiere and reception of Belman's debut feature. James, surrounded in the theatre by family and friends who had driven up from Ohio or come from even farther away for the screening, admitted that watching the film in front of the enthusiastic Toronto audience was the first time he had cried since losing a national championship in the 8th Grade.

More Than a Game, which James executive produced, helping to expand it to feature length from its origins as a 13 minute short film begun in Belman's film school days, recounts the highs and lows of the ?fab five?, comprised of James and his four best friends - Littl Dru, Sian, Willie and Romeo - who played basketball together from Grade school through to their senior year in high school, when the unlikely gang from Akron, Ohio played for the national championship. The friendship and comraderie among the five young men is a driving force in the film, mainly because it has been such a driving force in their lives, as was clearly evident in the post-screening Q&A.

James was not the only one overcome by emotion. Willie got choked up talking about how moving it was to see the film for the first time, while Little Dru's dad, Dru Joyce Sr., the coach and surrogate father of all the boys visibly fought back tears as he talked of how his job as coach had less to do with coaching basketball and more to do with helping the boys become men, and outstanding contributors to society at that.

Little Dru and Romeo flew in nine hours from Germany Friday night to be here for the screening. "Not much compared to the 17 hour flight I had back from Beijing," LeBron commented, "but I give 'em credit all the same." Sian would have been there as well were it not for an Ohio State football game he was playing in that afternoon. "He always picks football over us," James chided.

The tight group also showed Belman much appreciation and affection for the accomplishment of his crowd-pleasing film ... but of course in jocular fashion. James admitted that for the first month of the shoot none of them knew Chris's name and just called him "cameraman". "We still do, frankly."

Be sure to catch Cameraman Belman's film this Tuesday at 3:00pm or Saturday September 12 at 6:00pm, both screenings at AMC 6.

(Pictured above from left to right: Belman, LeBron, Willie, Romeo, Little Dru, Coach Dru)