Van Alpert’s documentary Skategoat follows Leandre Sanders, born in Venice Beach, LA, whose love of skateboarding kept him away from the world of gangs and crime. While his older brothers joined the family tradition of running with gangs, Sanders – dubbed Skategoat – spent most of his days and nights at Venice Beach skatepark with his younger brother Leontay.
Told over ten years, Skategoat documents his struggle to perfect his skateboarding and survive and includes interviews with Haden McKenna and Tony Hawk.
Alpert wrote the film alongside Justine A. Rosenthal, Michael Lawrence, and Lester Jones, with Michael Lawrence and Nicholas Cook producing.
Skategoat will be released in Australian cinemas on August 1 via Roadshow Films, following its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival, where it won Best Australian Documentary.