Nearly a year after its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Anything is Possible – The Serge Ibaka Story will have its U.S. debut on Crackle on August 1.
The feature-length documentary about the Congolese NBA star was produced by Vinay Virmani at LeBron James’ Uninterrupted Canada along with Jordi Vilà and Ibaka’s Ouenzé Entertainment.
Ibaka, a power forward, played a key role on the Toronto Raptors’ championship team in 2019. In the Raptors’ upset NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors, Kawhi Leonard won MVP honors but Ibaka proved essential, especially in a 20-point performance on the road in Game 4.
In the film (check out a teaser above), Ibaka is shown returning to his birthplace, the Republic of Congo. Carrying the Larry O’Brien trophy won by the Raptors, he meets with local residents and tours the streets where he grew up. He reflects on the death of his mother when he was 8 years old and the imprisonment of his father for political reasons. Ibaka also talks basketball with the country’s president, returns to a restaurant where he once begged for food, and visits with his old coach and the basketball club where he fell in love with the game.
Today, Ibaka has remained connected with his childhood community through his charitable foundation and a local academy where local children come for mentorship and coaching in pursuit of a college scholarship. As the title of the film suggests, Ibaka’s world view is firmly optimistic.
“I wanted to tell my story in a unique and different way,” Ibaka said. “I will never forget where I come from, and my journey to becoming an NBA Champion has been hard to believe. I think everyone can enjoy this film, but I will be especially proud if I can inspire at least one kid, in Congo or anywhere in the world, to give their all to reach for their dreams.”
The acquisition deal was done with Crackle Plus, the parent company of the Crackle screening service as well as Screen Media. Both business units are part of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, a leading operator of ad-supported streaming services.
A press release announcing the deal noted that the film fits with the strategy Chicken Soup has pursued in a crowded streaming marketplace. Since gaining control of Crackle in a deal with Sony in 2019, the company has added a number of originals to its slate, all programming that “uplifts, entertains and inspires audiences,” in the company’s words. Other recent titles include Road to Race Day, On Point, Wonders of the Sea and Ashton Kutcher-produced personal finance series Going From Broke, which was recently picked up for a second season.
“We are very proud to bring Anything is Possible – The Serge Ibaka Story to our Crackle audience,” said Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus. “This stirring documentary will not just entertain our sports-hungry viewers, it will inspire viewers to witness how Serge overcame so many obstacles to achieve his dreams.”