Hoop Dreams Ranked #1 By International Documentary Association

Kartemquin is thrilled to announce that its 1994 Academy-Award nominated film, Hoop Dreams, received the top ranking in a list released today by the International Documentary Association (IDA). Director Steve James responded to the honor, ""I am totally humbled by this distinction. There areso many great documentaries on the list and not on the list that could have easily been given this honor. I think Hoop Dreams' staying power is due to the courage and honesty of the Gates and Agee families who let us so completely into their lives. And to what one reviewer wrote about all the dramatic twists and turns in their story: 'Hoop Dreams' script was by God.'"

The film, made by Steve James, Peter Gilbert and Frederick Marx, was named "best documentary" in the list of 25 top documentaries created to celebrate the IDA's 25th anniversary. Sandra Ruch, Executive Director of the IDA, described Hoop Dreams' appeal in an article in Indie Wire: "People have always responded strongly to 'Hoop Dreams', maybe as it's such an American story, about a beloved indigenous sport and issues we have always grappled with in this country - race and class. It brought us a real story of the indomitable human spirit, rather than the cliches of the 'Rocky''s and 'Chariots of Fire' of the era." The top 25 documentaries on the list will be featured in the upcoming Oct/Nov edition of the IDA magazine.

Read the rest of the list.