Rez Ball

By John DiLillo. Tudum.

Get ready to cheer courtside as a brand-new sports drama heads to Netflix on Sept. 27. The film had its world premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.

Taking place over a season in the life of basketball players from a Native American reservation, Rez Ball is the lightning-fast story of a team of underdogs fighting for a state championship. Directed by Sydney Freeland (Drunktown's Finest), who co-wrote the script with Sterlin Harjo (Reservation Dogs), and produced by LeBron James himself, this is a sports story you won't want to miss.

For Freeland, who told Netflix that she is a "huge basketball fan" who also "loves to play," and competed in high school, Rez Ball is a story that she and Harjo were committed to telling "from the inside out." This meant drawing from their own experiences growing up and being a part of the game.

Freeland said, "You have these small arenas, but they're just packed with people. Where we were, we don't have professional teams. We don't have college teams. A lot of that falls on high school; where a lot of these native teams have had the most success is the high school level. So you get this huge turnout and this rabid fan base. So for us, it was like, 'Oh, this is West Texas high school football. This is Friday Night Lights, but it is from an Indigenous perspective.' "

What is Rez Ball about?

In the heart of Chuska, New Mexico, the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage, face their greatest challenge. After the loss of their star player, the team must unite like never before to keep their dreams of a state championship alive. This is more than just a game; it's a journey of resilience and unity, a true underdog story deeply rooted in Native American culture and spirit. Rez Ball is inspired by the celebrated book Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Reservation by Michael Powell and the New York Times articles that laid its foundation.

"For us," Freeland said, "this film is an invitation to see a side of America - a community - that [everyone] may not be familiar with. But for myself, for these kids, for the cast, for the crew, this is something that we've lived and breathed our whole lives."

"We've done our best to try to capture that experience on-screen, on camera, and we want to share that with people," Freeland continued. "Hopefully, people watch the film and they walk out feeling like, 'Oh wow, I didn't know this was something that existed.' And hopefully, we can expand people's horizons just a little bit more."

The Rez Ball ensemble includes: Jessica Matten (Tribal), Julia Jones (The Mandalorian), Amber Midthunder (Prey), Kiowa Gordon (Dark Winds), Dallas Goldtooth (Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning, Ernest Tsosie, Kauchani H. Bratt, Devin Sampson Craig, River Rayne Thomas, Jojo Jackson, Avery Hale, Hunter Redhorse Arthur, Henry Wilson Jr., Jaren K. Robledo, Damian Castellane, Kusem Goodwind and Zoey Reyes.

Casting the film was an enormous endeavor, with 5,000 submissions for 10 parts. As Freeland said of the final roster, "It was all about, hey, these kids can play, they can act, they've got a vibe, they've got chemistry, and then we move forward."

"These kids, I'm beyond blown away," she said. "They showed up, they showed out in the best possible way. Well, the proof is there on-screen."