Stay up to date on the latest Tribeca news and special offers with our newsletter. Sign up now.
Kicks

US Narrative Competition

World Premiere

USA | 87 MINUTES | English |

KICKS

Drama

In director Justin Tipping's feature debut Kicks, nothing is as simple as it seems. Fifteen-year-old Brandon longs for a pair of the freshest sneakers that money can buy, assuming that merely having them on his feet will help him escape the reality of being poor, neglected by the opposite sex, and picked on by everyone—even his best friends. Working hard to get them, he soon finds that the titular shoes have instead made him a target after they are promptly snatched by local hood Flaco. Seemingly the embodiment of menace, Flaco harbors complexities of his own that will be revealed when Brandon goes on a mission to retrieve his stolen sneakers with his two best friends in tow. Boasting a strong ensemble cast, and featuring a memorable lead performance by newcomer Jahking Guillory, the film transcends a deceptively traditional hero's journey to deliver an entertaining and sobering look at the realities of inner-city life, the concept of manhood, and the fetishization of sneaker culture. Visually and thematically rich, with an amazing soundtrack of both hip-hop classics and Bay Area favorites, Kicks creates an authentic and original portrait of a young man drowning in the expectations of machismo.



—Loren Hammonds

Read an interview with Kicks writer-director Justin Tipping about the film's real-life inspiration, its hip-hop influences, and more at TribecaFilm.com.


CAST & CREDITS

Directed by Justin Tipping

Justin is a writer/director originally from the Oakland CA Bay Area. Kicks is his first feature film as a director. Previously, he made a Student Academy Award winning short film, Nani. Justin holds a MFA in Directing from AFI and a BA in Film and Media Studies from UC-Santa Barbara.

Director
Justin Tipping
Screenwriter
Justin Tipping, Josh Beirne-Golden
Producer
David Kaplan, Adele Romanski, Joshua Astrachan, Michael Covino, Geoff Quan, Erik Rommesmo, Josh Bierne-Golden
Editor
Dominic Laperriere, Tomas Vengris
Cinematographer
Michael Ragen
Composer
Brian Reitzell
Production Designer
Erin Magill
Cast
Jahking Guillory, Mahershala Ali, Kofi Siriboe, Christopher Jordan Wallace, Christopher Meyer

CONTACTS

Print Source
David Kaplan
Animal Kingdom
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 212 602 1801
dk@animalkingdomfilms.com
International Sales Contact
David Kaplan
Animal Kingdom
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 212 602 1801
dk@animalkingdomfilms.com
Press Contact
Seanna Hore
Focus World
Universal City, CA 91608
Phone: 818 777 9153
seanna.hore@focusfeatures.com
US Sales Contact
Seanna Hore
Focus World
Universal City, CA 91608
Phone: 818 777 9153
seanna.hore@focusfeatures.com