Epix will kick off a new slate of Wednesday-night documentaries April 3 with director Simon Ennis’ Lunarcy!, about a group of disparate characters who share an obsession with the moon. The film bowed at the 2012 Toronto Film Festival and also will play at the upcoming SXSW Film Festival. It has already gained a cult following thanks to its cast of idiosyncratic characters, including a former ventriloquist who made millions of dollars selling moon lots, Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean (the fourth man to walk on the moon) and an astrophysicist professor at the University of British Columbia who, as a 13-year-old, lied about his age so he could be selected as Canada’s youth ambassador for the 1972 Apollo 17 launch.
VIDEO DIARIES: Independent Spirit Awards 2013
But the centerpiece in the Epix lineup of original documentaries is a film about the life of New York Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire.
Amar’e Stoudemire: In The Moment follows the life and career of the NBA veteran, whose time with the Knicks has not been without controversy: He punched a glass fire-extinguisher case after a playoff game in Miami, mangling his hand and requiring surgery. That injury came after a season of personal setbacks, including the death of his brother in a car accident.
The film will air April 19, which is a Friday and the eve of the NBA playoffs. Luckily, the Knicks are a virtual lock for the playoffs.
PHOTOS: Going for Gold: 10 Medal-Worthy Olympics Movies
“We are excited to give fans a first person point of view of the journey and achievements of Amare’s life and career. Amare’s story is inspiring to behold and one fans should not miss as the NBA playoffs near,” Mark Greenberg, Epix president and CEO, said in a statement.
“I’m looking forward to sharing my story with all my fans,” added Stoudemire. “This is a personal project and I’m thrilled to work with Epix to bring this film to everyone."
Other documentaries in the Epix slate include: Charles Bradley: Soul of America (April 10), about the rise to fame of a 62-year-old aspiring soul singer whose debut album took him from life in a Brooklyn housing project to Rolling Stone’s top 50 albums of 2011; Eco-Pirate (April 17), about controversial environmental activist Captain Paul Watson, who battles the Japanese whaling fleet in Antarctica and has been featured on Discovery’s Whale Wars; and The Other Dream Team (May 8), about the 1992 Lithuanian basketball team that competed at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
