Making 38 at the Garden: Disrupting Stereotypes about Asian Americans

Thursday, March 23, 2023 
7:45pm – 8:45pm

More than a sports documentary, 38 at the Garden is an exploration of the power of seeing ourselves succeed in arenas where we are not expected to thrive. While centered on the 2012 NBA success of Asian American NBA player Jeremy Lin, it is an opportunity for us all to experience the power of betting on ourselves, silencing the haters, waving off the doubters, and taking the shot. Director Frank Chi and Oscar & Emmy Award winning writer & producer, Travon Free, join us for a conversation on the inspiration behind the film, the importance of telling our own stories, and the power of seeing ourselves in each other’s successes and struggles.  

Meet Our Session Speakers

  • Frank Chi

    Filmmaker, 38 AT THE GARDEN

    Frank Chi is a filmmaker, artist and storyteller at the intersection of art, culture and politics. His work helps lead narratives around justice and inclusion in American life.

    Frank’s debut documentary 38 AT THE GARDEN - about the cultural significance of Jeremy Lin’s 2012 “Linsanity” run, premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short. It is now available on HBO and HBO Max.

    Frank’s social justice shorts have received over 50 million views across social media. His collaborations with the Smithsonian Institution celebrating America’s immigrants remain the institution’s most popular social videos and were called “a heartbreaking resonance of past and present” by ABC News.

    Frank was also a member of the team that created the popular “Notorious RBG” campaign honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; and was featured in The New York Times best-selling book “Notorious RBG” and the Oscar-nominated film “RBG.”

    For over a decade, Frank worked in political communications and collaborated with partners like Senator Elizabeth Warren and MoveOn to create some of the progressive movement’s most impactful digital content. He began his career working on the Obama Media Team in 2008.

    Frank has been profiled in Communication Arts and NBC News, and has written for the Washington Post and the Boston Globe. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

  • Travon Free

    Filmmaker and Co-Producer, 38 AT THE GARDEN

    Travon Free is a two-time Emmy winning and Peabody winning television writer, actor, and comedian from Compton, California.

    Before co-producing 38 at the Garden, Free wrote and co-directed Two Distant Strangers, which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 2021.

    His other writing and producing credits include "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" (TBS), "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central), "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" (Comedy Central), "Any Given Sunday With Bill Simmons" (HBO), Larry Wilmore’s White House Correspondent’s Dinner, "Hood Adjacent with James Davis" (Comedy Central), and many more.

    His writing work can also be found all over the web as one of the most sought after young comedic voices on social, political, and pop-culture issues.