~ The Netflix documentary chronicles Satnam Singh Bhamara’s awe-inspiring journey from rural India to New York city ~

National, December 30, 2016: In a nation with 1.3 billion people, where cricket is a religion and cricketers are demigods, Satnam Singh Bhamara is an unsung hero whose inspiring story deserves to be told. Defying all odds en route his journey to international fame, Satnam carved his own glorious path from Ballo Ke, a farming village in rural India to becoming the first Indian to be drafted into the U.S.A’s National Basketball Association (NBA). To bring this awe-inspiring story alive on screen, OBB Pictures has partnered with Media Weaver and RGTV to produce One in a Billion, a feature-length documentary based on Satnam’s life.

Introduced to the sport at a very young age, Satnam Singh Bhamara is the only Indian-born player ever to be drafted to the NBA, making his inciting story worth being told to the world. From being an unknown entity in a farming village to becoming a global name to reckon with, Satnam has carved his own success.  In a cricket-obsessed nation, Satnam has given basketball a new meaning by triggering a newly ignited following for the sport that is here to stay and grow. In effect, Satnam represents an entire nation, and the true spirit of being one in a billion. The Netflix exclusive documentary chronicles his unprecedented journey to global recognition, and is directed by New York Emmy Winner Roman Gackowski, featuring some of the most noteworthy personalities of basketball including Adam Silver (NBACommissioner), Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks Owner), Vivek Ranadivé (Sacramento Kings Owner), and Tory Justice (Sr. Director, Basketball Operations-International).

“We documented Satnam’s astounding journey over the past few years as he attempted to change the face of basketball in India forever. He’s not just an icon for his countrymen, but also an icon for the rest of the globe. ‘One in a Billion’ is extremely special for all of us, and we are very excited to share this phenomenal story with the world,” says Michael D. Ratner, CEO/President of OBB Pictures. He further said, “Satnam is playing an important role in both expanding the popularity of basketball in one of the world’s most rapidly emerging markets, and furthering the sport’s global appeal.”

One in a Billion follows the journey of 7 foot 2 inches Satnam Singh Bhamara, from his home of Ballo Ke to New York City, as he created history. Building up to a climactic draft night after years of hard work, Satnam has created a strong bridge between India and basketball, a feat that he solely achieved because of his pure grit and determination.

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-Thomas to Visit Schools and Community Organizations and Conduct Youth Clinics in Mumbai and Chennai-

-Thomas Will Provide Finals Analysis for Sony SIX and be the First NBA Player to Conduct a Google Hangout in India-

NEW YORK AND MUMBAI, June 5, 2014 – National Basketball Association (NBA) point guard Isaiah Thomas of the Sacramento Kings will travel to Mumbai this week for a weeklong promotional tour to grow the game of basketball and the NBA’s fanbase in the country.

Making his first trip to India, Thomas will travel across Mumbai and Chennai, participating in a wide range of activities, coaching children and interacting with local celebrities.

Thomas, a 5’9” guard from the University of Washington, was the 60^th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. In the 2013-14 regular season, he set career highs in minutes per game (34.7), points per game (20.3), assists per game (6.3), steals per game (1.3) and field goal percentage (45.3%).  He finished 11^th in the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award voting. On Jan. 19, he scored a career-high 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder.  Five days later, he tied this total against the Indiana Pacers.  On March 18, he recorded his first career triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 117-111 overtime win over the Washington Wizards.

Thomas marks the 31^st NBA or WNBA player or legend to travel to India since 2006 to help grow the game following All-Stars such as Chris Bosh, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard.

“I’m honored to be representing the Kings and the entire NBA in India this offseason and will do whatever I can to help grow the game here by inspiring children,” said Thomas.

The Kings are owned by Vivek Ranadivé, the first NBA owner from India, and have a rapidly growing fanbase in the Indian and Asian markets.  During the past season, more than 20 Kings games were broadcast on Sony SIX, including a live broadcast of the Kings opening night.  The Kings were also the first team to launch a dedicated Hindi website ( www.kings.com/hindi ).

“We are extremely excited to have a member of the Sacramento Kings visit India this summer, and Isaiah’s passion for the game and the community makes him a great ambassador for the sport in India,” said Ranadivé. “One of the key aspects of my NBA 3.0 vision is deepening the global imprint of basketball and India is a prime example of this. Basketball is rapidly becoming one of India’s most popular sports, second only to cricket, and interest in the game is expanding every day. I also have no doubt that India will one day become a hotbed of NBA-caliber talent.”

During his stay in India, Thomas will conduct several basketball clinics at schools and community organizations across Mumbai and Chennai.  He will provide in-depth Finals analysis for fans in India on Sony SIX. On June 7, Thomas will conduct the first-ever Google hangout to promote the official NBA online store in India, NBAStore.in. A few lucky fans will be selected to interact with Isaiah and showcase NBA merchandise.

“Isaiah’s visit to India coincides with The Finals, an important opportunity to grow the NBA’s fanbase in India,” said Yannick Colaco, Managing Director of NBA India. “Thank you to Isaiah for visiting Mumbai and for inspiring Indian youth to play basketball.”

He will also be on-hand to tip off the first stage of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA’s Basketball Hoops Infrastructure project.  Reliance Foundation and NBA India have partnered to install basketball hoops at schools across Mumbai.  IES School in Dadar is the first school to receive the new equipment.  Thomas will conduct clinics for students at the IES School in Dadar and at a local government school in Chennai.

Thomas will be joined by celebrity VJ and television star Rannvijay Sing, who will train with Thomas, learn what it takes to be a professional basketball player, and show him the best food Mumbai has to offer.

The NBA opened its first office in Mumbai in 2011 and is committed to growing basketball in India.  The league has hosted more than 500 events in 10 cities since 2008.  The league has marketing partnerships in India with adidas, Coca-Cola, Nike, Reebok and Spalding, and has NBA merchandise widely available in 225 adidas locations and the newly launched NBAStore.in.  A record 14 games aired per week this season on Sony SIX, up from three during the 2012-13 season.

About the NBA

The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2013-14 season featured a record 92 international players from 39 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, which is available in 60 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which set a record last year with more than 9.5 billion page views, with more than half of all visitors originating from outside of North America.  The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on social media, with more than 625 million likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams and players have donated more than $237 million to charity, completed more than 3 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 895 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.

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New York/Schaffhausen, April 18, 2014 – At the Tribeca Film Festival® in New York, IWC Schaffhausen demonstrated its commitment to supporting young, talented filmmakers for the second year in succession.

As part of the event, the luxury watch manufacturer hosted an exclusive dinner under the motto “For the Love of Cinema.” The Swiss company declared its passion for the world of filmmaking with the IWC Filmmaker Award, which was presented to the winner to the resounding applause of around 100 notable guests. A private concert by Grammy Award-winning singer Estelle was the crowning glory to a fabulous evening.

In the stylish surroundings of the Urban Zen loft overlooking Greenwich Village, IWC Schaffhausen held its private “For the Love of Cinema” dinner, with a star-studded guest list. Honoring the luxury watchmaker with their presence were Robert De Niro, co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, actors Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon,Heather Graham, Dev Patel, James Marsden, and Armie Hammer, NBA player Carmelo Anthony, as well as model Karolina Kurkova. The first highlight of the exclusive eveningwas the presentation of the IWC Filmmaker Award, which went to Jay Dockendorf. His film project, “Naz + Maalik,” left a profound impression on jury members Beth Janson, Executive Director of Tribeca Film Institute, Paula Weinstein,Executive Vice President of the Tribeca Film Festival, Jeff Malmberg, last year’s award winner, and Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Naz + Maalik” tells the story of two Muslim teens hustling the streets of Brooklyn on a hot summer day – when their secretive behavior unwittingly lands them into the crosshairs of the War on Terror. “Jay Dockendorf really understands how to address his audience’s intelligence, and his artistic interpretation of reality such as his professional way of telling stories are outstanding,” said Georges Kern, explaining the jury’s choice.

“His sensitive take on the realities of life left a lasting mark on us all, and we look forward to seeing more films with his signature.”

With the express aim of promoting up-and-coming filmmakers, the Swiss watch manufacturer founded its IWC Filmmaker Award several years ago. IWC presents the award as part of its commitment to the film festivals of Beijing, Zurich, London, and Dubai, and now for the second time in its role as Official ‘Festival-Time’ Partner of the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Tribeca Film Institute, which supports emerging and established filmmakers with grants and professional development, invited talented emerging filmmakers to submit their scripts for the IWC Filmmaker Award. Those whose innovative artistic approach impressed the jury made it to the short list. Jeff Malmberg, who won last year’s IWC Filmmaker Award for his documentary “Teatro,” had this to say: “Winning the IWC Filmmaker Award has helped me continue essential work on my second film, which would not otherwise have been possible. One of the issues with filmmaking is the incredible amount of time it all takes. The IWC award gives filmmakersthe time they need to tell their stories the right way.”

A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE FUTURE OF FILM

IWC CEO Georges Kern presented Jay Dockendorf with the USD 25,000 film sponsorship prize as well as a Pilot’s Watch Spitfire Chronograph Edition “Tribeca Film Festival  2014” (Ref. IW387810). IWC created this special timepiece in honor of its partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival.

The watch is limited to just 100 pieces and is exclusively available at IWC boutiques in the US. Apart from this, a unique example of the Pilot’s Watch Spitfire Chronograph Edition “Tribeca Film Festival 2014” in 18-carat red gold (Ref. IW387811) went under the hammer at the Antiquorum auction house. IWC Schaffhausen rounded up the USD 55,000 proceeds from the sale to a total of USD 100,000, which Georges Kern presented to Beth Janson, Executive Director of Tribeca Film Institute. “IWC’s generous support has now enabled us to provide two promising filmmakers with funding and invaluable professional development to   fully realize their projects,” said Janson. “We are grateful for the support of an organization that shares our commitment to advancing the work of media artists who act as catalysts of change in their communities and around the world.”

“Filmmakers tell us stories, make biographies come alive, and provide us with an insight into other worlds,” added IWC CEO Georges Kern. “Our aim is to encourage this source of inspiration by giving budding talents with exciting ideas the chance to realize their projects and make them accessible to a worldwide public. Technology and creativity play an important part in filmmaking, and are equally important components in the design and manufacture of watches. But only by striking a balance between innovation,technological perfection, and originality can we create masterpieces, whether it’s on the screen or in the fine watchmaking industry.”

After the presentation of the IWC Filmmaker Award came the second highlight of the evening: a private concert by British rapper and singer-songwriter Estelle, whose temperament radiated throughout an electrifying performance. The Grammy Award and World Music Award winner rose to fame on the strength of her hits “American Boy,” “1980,” and “Free.”

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

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