Head of SOC Films, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s collaborative venture, called Student Athlete is an HBO sports documentary that released in October 2018. It examines the complex rules of amateur athletics in America and how they affect uncompensated athletes and their families. The documentary has been nominated at the annual NAMIC Vision Awards 2019 alongside Dwayne The Rock Johnson and Michelle Obama.
Student Athlete has been made in association with LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson at SpringHill Entertainment and Steve Stoute at United Masters while it has been co-directed by Sharmeen (HBO’s Oscar winners Saving Face and A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness) and Trish Dalton (Bordering on Treason). Rick Bernstein is the executive producer whereas Joe Perskie served as the supervising producer.
Founded in 1994 by the NAMIC-Southern California Chapter, the NAMIC Vision Awards salutes original programming for linear and digital platforms that is reflective of the depth and breadth of the lives, spirit and contributions of people of color.
Student Athlete unveils the exploitative world of high-revenue college sports through the stories of four young men at different stages of their athletic careers, as well as a coach-turned-advocate and a whistle-blowing shoe rep who exposes the money trail. The documentary spotlights former college and NFL coach John Shoop; New Jersey high school basketball phenom Nick Richards, now at the University of Kentucky; Mike Shaw, who played at the University of Illinois and Bradley University; Shamar Graves, a former wide receiver at Rutgers University; and Silas Nacita, a walk-on who played at Baylor University.
