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Skategoat

Directed by Van Alpert
2024
Australia
85 minutes
MA 15+
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A young boy’s dream to become a pro skateboarder is captured in all its kinetic glory by renegade graffiti artist and acclaimed music video director Van Alpert.

Leandre Sanders, aka Skategoat, was born into a world of gangs and crime in Hawthorne, California. While his older brothers followed his parents into LA’s violent street life, Leandre spent his days at Venice Beach Skatepark, where he caught the eye of filmmaker Van Alpert. Van documented the talented youngster’s life for over a decade, as his family unravelled and his skills – including his unique ‘no stance’ skate style – took off. At 16, Leandre followed a girl to Melbourne, where he lived for over two years, and where his dream of becoming a professional skater started to become a reality. Van Alpert’s documentary debut pulses with a tactile sense of street style and an incredible soundtrack from Tyler, the Creator, Tame Impala, and more. From the producers of acclaimed documentaries Bra Boys and Fighting Fear.

Limited seats are available for patrons requiring access for wheelchairs, low vision and hearing loop. Please contact our ticketing team directly on 1300 733 733 or tickets@sff.org.au to complete your booking.

Special Guests

Van Alpert
Director, Screenwriter
Van Alpert is an LA-based filmmaker with a background in visual arts. He briefly attended the Art Centre in Pasadena for his Advertising scholarship, before studying filmmaking in Cuba. After directing Post Malone’s breakthrough music video “White Iverson,” Alpert continued collaborating for Nike, Red Bull, and Kanye West, and won a VMA for Best Alternative Video for Machine Gun Kelly’s “my ex best friend” in 2021.
Michael Lawrence
Producer, Writer
Michael Lawrence is a producer, writer and filmmaker. His feature documentary credits include Bra Boys (2007), with Russell Crowe, and the AACTA Award-winning Fighting Fear (2011), with Joel Edgerton. He wrote, directed and produced a spin-off TV series, The Crew (2013), which ran for three seasons. Lawrence’s recent credits include miniseries Save This Rhino (2019) and Save This Shark (2020) and the ABC drama series Barons (2022), made through his company Micanical Media in partnership with Fremantle.
Leandre Sanders
Cast / Principal Participant
Leandre Sanders (aka Skategoat) is a pro skateboarder born in Venice Beach. Growing up in a world of gangs and crime, skateboarding became a huge passion for Sanders to avoid trouble in his family, spending his days and nights at Venice Beach Skatepark with younger grother Leontay. Now reaching international recognition, Sanders is well-known for perfecting his ‘no stance’ skate style.

Tickets

Sat 15 Jun
6:20pm
Event Cinemas George Street - Cinema 5
Assisted Listening
Wheelchair
Past Event Cancel
Sun 16 Jun
4:15pm
Dendy Newtown - Cinema 1
Assisted Listening
Audio Description
Wheelchair
Close Captioned
Past Event Cancel
Presented By
Program Strand
Documentary Australia Award
Year
2024
Classification
MA 15+
Country
Australia
Language
In English
Director
Van Alpert
Producer
Michael Lawrence, Nicholas Cook
Screenwriter
Van Alpert, Justine A. Rosenthal, Michael Lawrence, Lester Jones
Cinematographer
Dan Freene, Jordan Ritz
Editor
Jane Moran, Lucas Vazquez
Premiere
World Premiere
Genre
Australian Films, Documentary, Sport, World Premieres
Company Credits
Australian Distributor: Roadshow Entertainment
Production Company
THIS Film Studio
Official Website
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