Matt Krentz, ’99 (left), reviews film on the set of Streetballers.

Name: Matthew Krentz, ’99
Degree: Marketing
Hometown: St. Louis
Position: Director and filmmaker

Matthew Krentz has long had two passions – basketball and storytelling. When he put them together in his first feature film, the result was an award-winning, creative slam dunk.

Streetballers is the story of two St. Louis junior-college basketball players struggling with racial issues, broken homes, a city’s divided culture, and other adversity. Streetballers hit the festival circuit in June 2008 making its world premiere at the Hollywood Black Film Festival and has gone on to win awards
and play in major cities. Krentz plans for a theatrical release in 2009.

“I wanted to make a film about basketball,” Krentz says of the story, “but also a socially conscious piece.”

A self-taught filmmaker, Krentz read filmmaking books and wrangled a job at Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Institute to learn his craft. He taught himself the ins and outs of writing business plans to secure independent films investors – an exercise reminiscent of his Rockhurst business classes.

Although, looking back at those classes now, he adds, “I probably should have written my plan on something other than ‘How to Open a Bar.’”

For details, visit www.streetballersthemovie.com.