Execution
A 16mm, story first trailer celebrating young women pushing surf + skate culture forward
Project:
Trailer / Short Doc Promo
Format:
Trailer built to drive screenings, shares, and festival momentum
Created by:
Respect The Funk
The Goal
Produce a documentary film that authentically captures the world of young women athletes breaking into spaces long dominated by men like surfing, skating, and longboarding while preserving the warmth, grit, and community that defines the culture around them.
Shot on 16mm Kodak film, Stoke Chasers was designed to feel timeless and lived-in: a celebration of movement, identity, and belonging, told from the inside and not as an outsider looking in.
The Challenge
Telling a sports story without turning it into a highlight reel.
The film needed to balance athletic intensity with human intimacy, avoiding the common traps of action-first storytelling or overly polished branding. The challenge was to create a film that felt bold and cinematic, yet deeply personal one that honored both the athletes and the community that shaped them.
Working with film stock, limited shooting windows, and real-world conditions added another layer of complexity, requiring intentional creative decisions at every stage of production.
Our Approach
- 1) Film as a feeling
- We leaned fully into 16mm film as a storytelling tool and not just an aesthetic choice. Grain, texture, sun flares, and motion became part of the narrative, giving the film a sense of memory, permanence, and emotional weight. Every frame was treated as something earned.
- 2) Culture-first storytelling
- Rather than focusing on competition or performance alone, the film centers on why these women ride fearlessness, identity, self-expression, and finding community. The athletes aren’t presented as outliers; they’re presented as leaders reshaping the culture from within.
- 3) Rhythm over spectacle
- The edit prioritizes momentum and emotion over excess. Movement, breath, and reaction are used to build a rhythm that mirrors the sports themselves, creating a film that feels alive, grounded, and intentional.
What We Delivered
- Produced the short documentary film from concept through post
- Official trailer for festival and online release
- Cinematic finishing with intentional pacing, tone, and emotional arcs
- Modular edit structure allowing the film to live across festivals, digital platforms, and promotional moments
Impact
Stoke Chasers stands as a culture-driven documentary that expands representation in action sports while maintaining the rawness and authenticity of the communities it portrays. The film has been positioned for festival screenings, digital distribution, and long-term cultural relevance.
CREDITS
- Director: Jo Ana Edmison
- Producers: Nathan Doherty, Hayley Nendal
- Editor: Ian McMullen