Synopsis

THIS IS BRIGHTON will take you on a teenage journey into the unique world of competitive skateboarding, with more girls than ever taking it by storm. The documentary follows Brighton, one of the best female contest skateboarders of her generation, becoming the youngest X Games Gold Medalist in history on her 13th birthday in 2017- only to repeat the effort again the following year. Skateboarding has been historically a youth-based lifestyle, so it's no wonder that the best contest skaters today are often in their early teens. As skateboarding becomes an Olympic sport for the first time, this character-driven film reveals the anxiety and pressures of competition, the effects of social media and how a teenager today handles their mental health when death, love, loss and a global pandemic are thrown their way. Inspiring and relatable to any young person grappling with teen angst, Brighton's story illustrates that no matter your background, being a teenager during COVID was full of life-changing challenges. The film follows Brighton through the growing pains of puberty and how these bodily changes affect her skating; her equally exciting and exhausting travels around the world; the pressures she overcomes to make the podium, the sponsorship obligations and anxiety that bubbles as she matures. The film reveals that jet-setting across the globe and competing at the highest level comes with a price. Character-driven and full of intimate verité scenes of this young talent, we will watch Brighton's success and mental struggles as she grows up right before our eyes after nearly four years of filming. Through Brighton's personal experience, the film showcases an exploding female skateboarding movement that includes a distinct group of women who are Brighton's closest friends and her biggest competition. Skateboarding being the ultimate individual sport, it becomes a perfect vehicle for Brighton to discover her true self as skateboarding redefines its cultural identity. THIS IS BRIGHTON will give an intimate look into the unique world of contest skateboarding today and how for females, being a part of this small circuit is not about just being the best but belonging to something bigger than oneself.