COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A former Ohio State football player turned filmmaker is celebrating his role in bringing a new animated Hollywood comedy to the big screen.

Leonard Hartman, a native of Leavittsburg in northeast Ohio and graduate of Ohio State and the American Film Institute, is one of four producers behind the feature film “SNEAKS.” According to a news release from Irvin Public Relations, Hartman’s Columbus-based company, Lengi Studios, played a key role in the film’s animation. The team recently celebrated their work with a private screening at the Gateway Film Center.

“SNEAKS” follows a brother-sister duo of high-end sneakers who get separated when the sister, Maxine, is stolen before a big high school game. The adventure kicks off as her brother, Ty, voiced by Anthony Mackie, sets off across New York to find her. The character Maxine is voiced by Chloe Bailey, and Laurence Fishburne lends his voice to the film’s villain, an unscrupulous sneaker collector. The voice cast also includes Martin Lawrence and Keith David.

Directed by Rob Edwards and Christopher Jenkins, the movie is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Lengi Studios, part of the Ohio Film Group, is based on the Columbus College of Art and Design campus. The company specializes in animation and visual effects for films, TV, video games, music videos, and advertising, according to its LinkedIn profile.

Before launching his film career, Hartman earned a master’s degree in English Education from Ohio State, went on to AFI in Los Angeles, and became a Hollywood screenwriter. His credits include co-writing “Free State of Jones,” the 2016 Civil War drama starring Matthew McConaughey.

As a Buckeye, Hartman was an Academic All-American and a two-time member of the Big Ten’s All-Academic team. OSU’s 1992 media guide described him as a “hard-working, very intense athlete.”