A movie focusing on the last year of girls’ six on six basketball has concluded shooting at various Iowa locations. New Providence is being edited in the hopes of having a premiere during the Girls State Basketball Tournament is Des Moines in March.
The movie director hired a number of professional actors to tell the story, and the female lead, who had acted in just one play.
Ava Hawthorne, a sixteen year old sophomore point guard on the Gilbert High School team, landed the role. Hawthorne says she learned about six on six during a fun practice with her coach Mike Frisk.
"Last year at Christmas time we actually played six on six in practice. The kids just loved it we showed little video first,” Frisk tells WHO-TV 13.
“They put out a casting call hey we’re looking for Iowa high school basketball girls to come on down and try out,” Hawthorne says. "My grandma was like come on guys it will be fun, let’s do it.”
People could try out as players, coaches and members of the audience watching the six on six game. “I’m like in a room with a bunch of Iowa high school girls and the director says does anybody want to try out for the main part?” Hawthorne tells WHO-TV 13. “I’m like, I raised my hand I got nothing to lose.”
She was emailed the script for the lead female role of Lacey, the star of the New Providence basketball six on six team. She had to read lines of Lacey in the the camera and send the video to the director. She was then asked to go back and meet with the director again.
“The director offered me the part he said, Ava all you have to do is memorize the lines,” Hawthorne says. “You already are Lacey your character matches your personality all you have to do is memorize lines and I thought that was pretty cool.”
(Photo: WHO-TV 13