Steph Curry left Utah on Wednesday night with more than just a win on the court-he also picked up a major victory off of it.
After dropping 27 points in the Warriors’ 140-124 win over the Jazz, Curry boarded the team plane with something else to celebrate: his first win as a film director. His short film The Baddest Speechwriter of All, co-directed with Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot, took home the Grand Jury Prize for short films at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City.
The timing, though, wasn’t exactly ideal. The Warriors’ travel schedule meant Curry couldn’t attend the Tuesday night celebration in person. So he did what any modern multitasker would do-he accepted the award via WhatsApp.
“Ironically, it was the first time I did an acceptance speech over WhatsApp video,” Curry said. “Ben was up there on stage and I got to do a 30-second acceptance speech. I was there in spirit.”
This wasn’t Curry’s first brush with Sundance. He was featured at the festival back in 2023 for Underrated, a documentary chronicling his journey from overlooked college prospect to NBA superstar. But this time, he was behind the camera, helping tell someone else’s story-one that’s deeply rooted in American history.
The Baddest Speechwriter of All centers on Clarence Jones, a civil rights icon and longtime speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Now in his 90s, Jones sat down with Curry and Proudfoot to share his story-one that spans decades of legal advocacy, activism, and some of the most iconic moments in the civil rights movement.
“You do projects not really looking for that type of acknowledgment,” Curry said. “You do it for the story you are trying to tell.
These kinds of awards only further the opportunity to tell Clarence’s story. He’s had such an impact on this country through his civil rights work, the speech writing, and legal work for Dr.
King.”
The Sundance jury praised the film for its urgency and emotional depth, saying it “implores us to take action with a message that is timeless and timely. Through the eyes of its subject, we find one of the most important moments in modern history has a new perspective.”
For Curry, the recognition is meaningful-but it’s not the point.
“We have the opportunity and the platform to share Clarence’s story from his own perspective, his words,” Curry said. “He got to tell his story.
We are ecstatic to win, but it is not about us. It is about him and his life.”
Whether it's from beyond the arc or behind the lens, Curry continues to find ways to elevate the conversation-and this time, he’s shining a light on one of the unsung heroes of American history.