Chicago-made
skatepark doc
gains widespread
distribution on
legendary athlete’s
YouTube channel
Concrete Dreams, a documentary about public skateparks written and directed by Little Cabin Films co-founder Nick Nummerdor, has gained distribution through Tony Hawks’ RIDE Channel on YouTube.
Concrete Dreams documents the decade-long struggle and ultimate triumph of Paulina Jimenez, a “suburban super-mom” who spearheads the completion of a free public skatepark in Villa Park, IL. Along the way, it shows how the benefits of public skateparks extend far beyond a collection of ramps.
“This trio of short films focuses on skateparks as an emerging fulcrum of local activism,” says Nummerdor, a native Michigander who interned at Kartemquin Films after graduating from Columbia College. “I’m also currently an outreach coordinator for Minding the Gap, and I am trying to use the film success to help skatepark advocates.”
Nummerdor financed much of the project with a grant from the 2017 Digital Media Production Fund, a project of Voqal Fund administered by Chicago Filmmakers.
THE SKATEPARK: CONCRETE DREAMS | EPISODE 01
The 52-minute series features Stevie “Dread” Snyder of Chicago’s Uprise skateshop, the Villa Park Community Planning board, and Evergreen Skateparks of Portland, Oregon.
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Besides recently sharing the doc with the 1.5 million viewers who subscribe to his RIDE Channel, Hawk indirectly contributed to the story’s success by leading his foundation to publish the Public Skatepark Development Guide in 2002.
The free “one-stop shop for all skatepark development guidance and information” helped Jimenez “rally local skateboarders, businesses, and residents to support fundraising efforts,” according to a press release.
Nummerdor hopes that this record of her achievement will not only inspire similar community development, but also portray the stuff that inspires people to get on a board.
“More than just public spaces, skateparks are concrete wonderlands that showcase the grace, agility, and athleticism of urban youth who are rarely given opportunities for positive self-expression,” he says.
About Nick Nummerdor
Nick Nummerdor is an independent filmmaker based in Chicago. He directs, produces, edits, shoots, and records sound on a variety of commercials, documentaries, and spots. | Nummerdor’s work has been featured on the ABC morning news, Netflix, Amazon Prime, WBEZ, Wisconsin Public Television, Reel Chicago, and even a few German RV magazines. | Nick is a recipient of the Chicago Filmmakers Digital Media Production Fund Grant, a graduate of Columbia College Chicago documentary program, and co-founder of Chicago skateboard company Pardon My Thrashing.
About Little Cabin Films
Co-Directors Nick Nummerdor and Andrew Morgan have been making videos together since they became friends in middle school. After relocating from Muskegon, MI to Chicago, they began making a variety of films together via their company Little Cabin Films, started in 2009. In 2013, they released their first feature documentary Vannin’, which entertained film festival audiences all over the world. Vannin’ screened at Calgary Underground Film Festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, Virginia Film Festival, San Francisco Doc Fest, Wisconsin Public Television (Directors Cut), and had a weeklong run at Alamo Draft House in Austin, TX. It was featured on the front page of Amazon Prime throughout 2018. Their 2018 short docs North Branch and Hill Climb have been screened at over a dozen film festivals each. Their next documentary, Sleeze Lake, the story of the wildest van party ever, is slated for a 2019 release.
CREDITS
THE SKATEPARK: CONCRETE DREAMS
Director Nick Nummerdor
Produced by Little Cabin Films
Starring: Paulina Jimenez, Evergreen Skateparks, Stevie “Dread” Snyder
Executive Producers: Nick Nummerdor, Andrew J. Morgan, Mimi Wilcox
Camera & Sound Nick Nummerdor, Andrew J. Morgan
Editor Mimi Wilcox
Music Donny Mahlmeister
Sound Mix Mike Koza
Send your indie updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
