Movie documents Sacramento's fight to keep Kings | Arts & Culture

SACRAMENTO, CA - A documentary that highlights Sacramento's fight to keep the Kings premier's at 7 p.m. on Monday Jan. 9 at the Crest Theater.

Small Market, Big Heart, a full-length documentary, shares the compelling story of the people of Sacramento and their battle to get and keep a professional sports franchise over the last 26 years.

As a small market, Sacramento has faced enormous adversity, first in landing an NBA franchise and then maintaining that franchise through both good and bad economic times. The one constant has always been incredible community support, as the Kings have sold out all of their games in 19 of 26 seasons in Sacramento.  

Over the last year, faced with the possibility of losing their team, grassroots movements fought to engage political leaders to fight for Sacramento’s one and only professional franchise. The outcome was nothing short of a miracle, as the combined efforts of many, led to an NBA first- a one year extension for a city to get a new entertainment and sports complex built.

VIDEO CLIPS from Small Market, Big Heart:

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The documentary depicts the struggle to remain relevant in the high-stakes game of professional sports. The story is told through the eyes of long-term members of media, former and current members of the Sacramento Kings franchise, local politicians and lastly, the common members of the Sacramento community that stood tall in the face of adversity. 

The fight is not over. The NBA has given Sacramento until March 1 to get a financing mechanism in place for a new entertainment and sports complex. If that doesn't happen, the city may lose its most recognizable community asset. Our goal is to release this film in December of 2011 while the story is still unfolding, and then revisit the ending when a final outcome is decided.  During these crucial times, it is important for the community to have knowledge of the unique history of the Sacramento Kings and how important it is for the franchise to stay in the River City.  

Small Market, Big Heart Productions is a film group dedicated to keeping the Kings in Sacramento and getting a new entertainment and sports complex built in the region. The production company is made up of Sacramento citizens and Kings fans.