In Clark Birchmeier’s N.I.L.ionarie$, news has just broken that college athletes can now profit from their image through sponsorship deals and substantial cash payouts rather than leaving those profits to the university. This is a great opportunity, but what wrath has been unleashed?
Our story follows two promising athletes in first-round draft pick Ace Iverson (Afolabi Oyeneyin) and phenom Taylor “Buckets” Brooks (Emily Jade Goodwin), being pursued by sports agent Portis (Clinton Portis). For Ace and Taylor, this is their time to strike while they’re hot, yet at the same time, the pressure is on for Ace to decide which team he will join next, and for Taylor to play by the rules. Sparks fly when the two athletes finally meet.
“…caught between the pressure to do what their new agents and managers want…or just play.”
N.I.L.ionarie$ feels like a pilot to an ongoing series. It sets the stage with our protagonists, given the opportunity of a lifetime and caught between the pressure to do what their new agents and managers want, which is to make a lot of money for the agency, or just play, whether at the college or professional level.
As a short film, director Clark Birchmeier gives us the look and feel of the billion-dollar sports agent industry. The performances of Afolabi Oyeneyin and Emily Jade Goodwin hit the perfect note for naive young adults, who are about to get in over their heads. Most importantly, I want to know what happens next. It feels like a journey worth following.
N.I.L.ionarie$ is a slam dunk of a short film that scratches the surface of the chaos and temptation NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) money has unleashed on college sports. Afolabi Oyeneyin and Emily Jade Goodwin bring a great deal of heart to their roles. I’m already hooked on this high-stakes game of fame, fortune, and figuring out who’s actually calling the plays.
"…a slam dunk of a short film..."
