Skateboarding isn’t some suburban sport, it’s a means of
survival… National Television Broadcasts: Pivot Television Network
2013 - 2014 (AT&T U-verse, Verizon FIOS, DIRECTV, Dish Network, etc)
Documentary Channel 2012 - 2013 (DirecTV & DISH Network) “Best Short
Documentary” In COLOR Film Festival 2013“Best Short Documentary”
Roxbury International Film Festival 2011 “Official Selection”
Newport Beach Film Festival 2011 “Best Documentary Short” Mammoth
Film Festival 2009 “On The Grind was as jarring as anticipated, and
much more. It is a story of kindness and struggle, life and death.”
-Ryan ZumMallen, LB Post Film Fundraiser: Your donations will go
towards finishing the feature-length film. Thank you. Awards &
Previous Screenings: Black History Month Film Festival 2015, Oklahoma
City, OK The Sheckler Foundation “Be The Change” Finalist, 2014
Best Short Film @ InCOLOR Film Festival 2013, Oklahoma City, OK
Joel’s Skate Park, Fairbanks, AK 2012 35th Screening Celebration.
N.W. Film Forum, Seattle, WA 2012 Bakersfield College 2012 Splinter
Skate Park, Jackson, MS 2012 Occupy Cinema: University of Southern
California 2012 My Hero International Film Festival 2011 “Best Short
Documentary” Roxbury International Film Festival 2011 “First Night
Boston” NYE Fest 2011 African-American Film Marketplace 2011 Newport
Beach Film Festival 2011 Seattle True Independent Film Festival 2011
Unspoken Projects: Vera Davis Youth Center, Venice 2011 On The Grind
Art Jam + Film Fundraiser @ HVW8 Gallery 2011 Cine Freestyle: Leimert
Park Art Walk, L.A. 2011 Our Image Film & Arts Festival, TX 2011
Waller Freedom Festival: Film & Arts Fest, TX 2011 Southside Skate
Park, TX 2011 Indie Vix Sessions: Unofficial SXSW Showcase 2011
Streets of Venice Skate Shop, L.A. 2011 Crenshaw High School, L.A.
2011 Washington State University 2011 NuArt Theatre @ Moscow, ID 2011
Red Ball Express Film Festival @ Shoemaker HS, TX 2011 Texas Black
Film Festival 2011 Skate and Action Sports Conference, FL 2011
Skateside Skatepark, CA 2011 California African American Museum
2010-2011 Pan African Film Festival 2010 Angelus Student Film Festival
2010 Scripps College, CA 2010 NuArt Theatre @ NuArt Block Party, ID
2010 Truckstop Skatepark, OR 2010 Skate Conference 2010, FL 2010 Art
Theatre Long Beach, CA - Premiere 2010 “Best Documentary Short”
Mammoth Film Festival 2009 Contact: ON THE GRIND screenings are made
possible by support from the community. If you want to host a
screening, please contact: onthegrindmovie AT gmail DOT com to set up
an “On The Grind” screening at your university, school, museum,
church, music venue, music festival, art gallery, etc. If you would
like to make a donation to financially support the completion of the
feature-length project, please email: onthegrindmovie AT gmail DOT
com. Thanks for your support! In 2006, Director James Cheeks III and
Photographer Kevin Campbell set out to Long Beach to capture its
thriving skateboard scene in the aftermath of a gang-shooting that
ended the life of one of the city’s most promising skaters. “On
The Grind” follows a diverse group of skaters who are elevating
themselves out of poverty with their passion of skateboarding. The
skaters practice at a skate-park located in the middle of a war zone
where drugs, violence and homelessness run rampant; and over the past
three years, the filmmakers have discovered compelling stories of
loss, loyalty and brotherhood that transcend Long Beach. This
documentary will prove to be an artifact of the urban skate
phenomenon, while providing hope for a community struggling to keep
its youth from the undertow of gang-violence. Skateboarding isn’t
just some suburban sport, it’s a means of survival… On The Grind
Feature Length Film coming soon!
