Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant and Utah Jazz point guard Mike Conley served as executive producers on the short film "Two Distant Strangers," and it's up for an Oscar this year.
The film has been nominated for Best Live Action Short Film ahead of the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony on April 25. It stars actor-rapper Joey Bada$$ as cartoonist Carter James, who a police officer kills while James is trying to get home to his dog, and the latter is then forced to constantly relive the moment.
Durant and Conley discussed their involvement during an interview with Slam's Deyscha Smith in February.
"It was a film that I visualized as you know, reality for so many of us," Conley said. "With my background being in Memphis, and, you know fighting for social justice, it was right up my alley and it was something that I wanted to support in any way possible to be able to you know see this film through it."
"From the minute we saw the script for this project, we knew it had the potential to be very powerful and we wanted to be involved," Durant added. "Getting to see it come to life on the screen was an intense experience - I also had the opportunity to screen it for my teammates and coaches at the Nets, and I think everyone came away with the same feeling that I did that the film is telling a really important story about the Black experience, but in a way that is real and raw and not at all preachy."