Hope is Hip
Documentary
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Documentary, Short Films, 30-Jun-2026
In a seaside town in Maine, a group of young skateboarders go about their normal lives—skating, smoking weed, and shooting the shit. A slice-of-life snapshot directed by Gideon Baeza, “Hope is Hip” tracks the lifestyle and personalities of an outsider subculture just beyond a quaint tourist district and marina. The kids congregate at a local skatepark eating bread and marshmallow fluff from a jar, chit-chatting about their frustrations and passions. Later, one of the kids shoplifts a stuffed lobster from a souvenir shop. An older neighbor, annoyed by the loudness of the park, confronts the skaters and gets a predictable response. Authenticity leads this poetic portrait of youth that captures a place and attitude with specificity and affection. -KA. Director: Gideon Baeza. Cast: Travis Dube, Karin Leuthy, Nico Benjamin, Griffin Neal. Producer: Marta Denny. Composer: Brennan Clark.
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