Charades Boards Cannes Alum Paul Shkordoff's Basketball Debut 'Import'

Paris-based sales agent Charades has boarded "Import," the feature directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker Paul Shkordoff, whose 2020 short "Benjamin, Benny, Ben" competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. The company will launch international sales at the American Film Market next month. The film is now in post-production.

What is 'Import' about?

Set in the fiercely competitive world of European basketball, "Import" was co-written by Frank Graziano — co-writer of "Murina," winner of the 2021 Caméra d'Or — and Shkordoff himself. The film shot in Belgrade, Serbia.

The story follows Danny Ingram, a former high-school basketball prospect whose professional dreams are derailed by a serious injury. Determined to get a second chance, he heads to Eastern Europe, where recruiters turn him away.

Desperate to keep playing, Danny conceals his injury and crosses paths with Nima, a Syrian nurse caring for the local migrant community, who offers him a much-needed job. When an opportunity to play for Partizan finally emerges, Danny must decide how far he is willing to go to pursue his basketball dreams.

The cast is led by American professional basketball player Jawaun Daniels, who has played for clubs across Europe. He stars alongside Alexis Manenti ("Les Misérables") and Mouna Soualem ("The Little Sister").

The film was made in partnership with KK Partizan, one of the EuroLeague's most iconic basketball clubs, renowned for its loyal supporters. The team features in the film itself.

What did Charades and the director say?

Charades co-founder Pierre Mazars framed the acquisition in terms of the sport's cultural weight.

"'Import' offers a fresh perspective on a sport long shaped by the U.S. dominance on basketball's global image. In Serbia, basketball is more than a game — it's a religion," Mazars said. "Paul Shkordoff captures its singular and fierce atmosphere, bringing to the screen a powerful and universal story that reaches far beyond the boundaries of sport."

Shkordoff described the film as an exploration of professional ambition, physical limitation and personal identity.

"Central to this film lies the harsh reality that in sports, the body can become aware of what the mind refuses to accept," he said. "We use work as a conduit to meaning because it can feel like a shortcut to defining who we want to be. But when that work is no longer available to us, it can feel like the identity we've been building for ourselves no longer exists."

Who is Paul Shkordoff?

"Import" caps a string of acclaimed shorts for the director. "Benjamin, Benny, Ben" (2020) competed at Cannes, was programmed by Barry Jenkins in Telluride's Calling Cards section, earned a nomination for best live-action short at the Canadian Screen Awards and won best Canadian short film at Toronto. His next short, "Twelve Hours," premiered at TIFF in 2021. Shkordoff developed "Import" through TorinoFilmLab's ScriptLab program in 2022.

Who is producing and financing the film?

"Import" is produced by three companies:

• Jason Aita at Sweet George Films
• Emily Harris at OPC
• Rosalie Chicoine Perreault at Quebec-based Metafilms, Sylvain Corbeil's company behind "Mommy" and "Universal Language"

The film is co-produced by Jean-Christophe Reymond's French banner Kazak Productions ("Titane") and Milan Stojanović's Serbian outfit Sense Productions, in association with Biscuit Filmworks and The Lift.

Financing includes the participation of Telefilm Canada and support from Eurimages, the CNC's Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, the Île-de-France Region, SODEC and Ontario Creates — a multi-country backing structure that spans Canada, France and Serbia.

Charades, whose credits include "Club Kid," will pitch the title to international buyers at AFM. The market launch will test whether a sports drama rooted in Serbian basketball culture can travel to a global audience.