Film Screening: Give Me the Ball!

Catch this exciting screening of Give Me the Ball!, an intimate portrayal of tennis legend and icon Billie Jean King. Via rare archive and candid interviews, Billie Jean King and those closest to her reveal how one woman put changing the world ahead of saving herself.

This brand new ESPN Films 30 for 30 documentary directed by Liz Garbus (Harry & Meghan) and Elizabeth Wolff (I’ll Be Gone in the Dark) premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Fesitval. The screening is presented in partnership with the Arkansas Cinema Society, the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, and the Clinton Foundation in celebration of America 250.

About the Film

Billie Jean King is a global icon whose impact on tennis and equality resonates around the world. But the personal turmoil behind this transformational figure has in many ways remained hidden from view.

In Give Me the Ball!, we come to understand the sacrifices King was forced to make behind the scenes, even as she fought high-profile battles for the professionalization of her sport and equal treatment for women. From struggling to escape an unhappy marriage and hiding her sexual orientation to facing an eating disorder and staring down misogyny at every turn, her march to triumph was a long and often lonely one. This is a woman whose saga cuts deeper than her victory in the “Battle of the Sexes” showdown, and the film showcases King like the persistent fighter she was forced to be.

Through a trove of rarely seen archival material and powerfully honest interviews with King, this film explores the depths of agony she endured so that others might follow a less painful path. It is the story of selflessness, struggle, and triumph that shines an unforgettable light on a figure who is widely admired but, until now, never properly understood.

Run Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Photo by Ellen Griesedieck