EJ Lee Documentary Sneak Preview Event

Join us at —Chicago’s first and only women’s sports bar—for the first public sneak preview of the upcoming feature-length film about women’s basketball legend Eun Jung “EJ” Lee, nicknamed by Sports Illustrated as the “Korean Magic Johnson of NCAA women’s basketball.”

This intimate evening will feature an exclusive screening of early scenes from the in-progress documentary, a panel discussion featuring film team members and local women's sports advocates in the city, a community feedback session, and a fundraising raffle to support the completion of the film. The event will also celebrate the unveiling of EJ Lee’s framed college jersey from her record-setting 1980s career at Northeast Louisiana University—commemorating a Final Four appearance and a legacy too often forgotten in women’s basketball history.

The program will open with a panel conversation moderated by Chicago writer and producer haydée souffrant, featuring producer/editor Zoe Sua Cho, consulting producer/cinematographer Shuling Yong, Paige Crawford (League of Their Own CHI), and Maya Goldberg-Safir (Rough Notes Substack). Together, they’ll peel back the curtain of independent documentary filmmaking & explore the evolution of women’s sports, storytelling, and the underlying themes connecting women’s basketball’s past to its present.

Guests will then enjoy roughly 20-30 minutes of a sneak preview screening followed by a guided audience discussion also led by souffrant—a rare opportunity to engage directly with the narrative and get an inside look into the making of indie documentary.

Throughout the evening, guests can bid on a raffle fundraiser featuring items donated by following partners: the Chicago Sky, & , , , Babe’s Sports Bar, and local creators like , , , , and

• The funds that are raised will go directly towards the documentary's completion, such as finishing the remaining 15-20% production shoots and editing towards a rough cut of the film.

Limited complimentary pizza from (a Filipino- and Mexican-owned pizzeria in Pilsen) will be served (arrive early for slices!). The evening will close with a DJ set by .

EJ-Themed Hurricane Drink: Babe's will have a special EJ/Louisiana-themed drink for purchase! Proceeds from every Hurricane cocktail (NA version available) purchased will go towards Humboldt Park Solidarity Network, a mutual aid that serves the local immigrant community, & League of Their Own to support women-centered sports events.

Event poster was created by Chicago-based graphic designer Mo Doron.

NOTE: Please note that the event will be recorded and photographed. By attending, you give your consent to the filmmakers to use the recording of your person and appearance in any manner in connection with the purpose of this screening. If you have any issues with this, please ask to speak to a member of the event team to accomodate your preference.

Please keep in mind that this is a 21+ event

Ticket Pricing: Tickets are free with a suggested $20 donation to support the event programming.

• All attendees will receive a free postcard illustration of Babe's Sports Bar by Chicago artist Jaz Rodriguez (@jazonvinylart) that is commissioned for this event!

If you do not have the means for donation but you're a women's sports fan and/or a fan of EJ, we would still love for you to come to the event to support the documentary! Because of limited capacity at the bar, we just ask that you be certain about attending the event before reserving your ticket. If you cannot come to the event for whatever reason, please click the "Contact the organizer" button in your Eventbrite ticket page and/or email [email protected] to let us know so that we can open up your ticket to other women's sports fans.

Non-Attendee Tickets / Donations: If you cannot attend but would like to still donate to support the making of this women's basketball documentary, we have a ticket option for you to select! Click "Donation for Non-Attendees" under "Get Tickets."

• Donate $20 or more and receive a postcard illustration of Babe's Sports Bar by Chicago artist Jaz Rodriguez (@jazonvinylart) that is commissioned for this event!
• Donate $40 or more and receive the postcard illustration from Jaz Rodriguez noted above AND an 11x17 event poster created by Chicago artist Mo Doron.

The team will reach out to each person via email to obtain a mailing address for the gift shipping, so please be sure to write down your correct contact info.

Donate: If you'd like to support the film's completion beyond ticket donations, the team is accepting tax-deductible donations through our fiscal sponsor Film Independent.

The funds raised will go directly towards:

• Finishing the remaining production (interviews with basketball legends, EJ's family, former teammates, coaches, etc.)
• Editing towards a rough cut of the film (the most expensive part of the filmmaking process!)
• Organizing and hosting more sneak preview & community events like this!

About The Film:

The features an independent, majority-women and POC team led by director/producer Jason Rhee and executive produced by Sue Bird and A Touch More. The film is in association with Kartemquin Films. To visit our website and learn more about the individual team members, click here.

The EJ Lee Documentary is an intimate character study of this little-known Asian American superstar with a Southern twang whose career shined during the lost era of 1980s women’s basketball history. The narrative interweaves the historical journey of EJ developing into one of the best players in Korea and America and the present-day narrative tracking the final chapters of EJ’s 40-year-career as a first-time college head coach in rural West Texas.

The project is currently in the early post-production phase and seeks to build a grassroots movement of fans and supporters to bring EJ Lee’s story to the big screen.

For a primer on EJ Lee, check out this

Contact: [email protected]

Info: Panelists: Zoe Sua Cho (Producer/Editor), Shuling Yong (Consulting Producer/Cinematographer/Sound Mixer), Paige Crawford (League of Their Own Founder, Togethxr Community Manager), Maya Goldberg-Saffir (Writer, Rough Notes Substack)

Info: You'll get to see a 20-30-minute sneak peak of the EJ Lee documentary-in-progress. We're excited to share these exclusive scenes from the early editing stage and discuss them with women's sports fans

Info: Celebrate as we unveil the historic EJ Lee jersey worn during her junior and senior college year (1984-1986). During these years, EJ and her team reached the Final Four, defeated Cheryl Miller and USC in the Northern Lights Tournament, and EJ was named an All-American and the #1 Point Guard in The Nation.

Info: Come dance with us as DJ Mo Mami performs a 1-hour set to wrap up the evening. And please, no song requests!

Info: We will announce all the raffle fundraiser prizes towards the end of the evening!

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