On The Cusp, Longlist - Branded

Bonafide

Jane Qian

Knucklehead

Bonafide Basketball is a state-funded basketball league founded by Coach Sam Stukes. Located in one of the most crime-ridden zip codes in Texas, Coach Sam makes it her mission to instill life lessons in her players, teaching them the importance of success, failure, and teamwork. Her program gives at-risk youth an opportunity to be seen by college scouts, a chance to go to college and use basketball as a tool to get there.

Born in Shanghai and raised in Los Angeles, Jane decided she was going to be a director at the age of twelve. People laughed, said it was impossible and warned that it was no place for an immigrant Chinese girl, but that challenge and immense desire to prove people wrong only fuelled her fire. Since then, Jane has worked relentlessly in the industry from the bottom up, knocking down barriers and creating opportunities for herself when presented with roadblocks. She started out as an unpaid intern then graduated to the PA and AD department, then camera, and then finally as an assistant to Director Steve Miner (Friday the 13th, Halloween). That job led to another opportunity as an assistant to show-runner and executive producer Jeffrey Schechter (Stitchers, Brink), before she made the jump to calling herself a full-time director.