For her most recent directing project, “Street Smart,” which focuses on a group of homeless young adults in the famous beach town of Venice, California, Catherine Hardwicke is going back to her Dogtown roots.
It is said to provide a “gripping” glimpse into the lives of the vibrant group who “come together with humor and a bit of Robin Hood-style larceny, forging unbreakable bonds and redefining what it means to be a family.” Hardwicke co-wrote the drama with Nic Sheff, a New York Times best-selling author and screenwriter (“13 Reasons Why,” “Tweak”).
Isabelle Fuhrman (“The Hunger Games,” “Horizon: An American Legacy,” “Orphan”), Yara Shahidi (“Sitting in Bars with Cake,” “Grown-ish”), Michael Cimino (“Never Have I Ever,” “Love Victor,” “Until Dawn”), Daniel Zovatto (“It Follows,” “Don’t Breathe,” “Woman of the Hour”), Kaitlyn Kemp (“The Razor’s Edge,” “I Am Your Driver”), Miles McKenna (“Goosebumps,” “9-1-1: Lone Star”), and professional skateboarder Isiah Hilt are among the outstanding ensemble cast.
According to Variety, Hardwicke remarked, “We feel incredibly fortunate to be working in L.A. in the wake of the recent tragedies that have profoundly impacted Los Angeles and the Hollywood community.” (In Los Angeles, principal photography started on January 27.) “
To create an intense, thought-provoking, and joyful film, we’re collaborating with an insanely talented group of actors and filmmakers.”
For the movie, Hardwicke also re-teams with Elliott Davis, who worked as cinematographer on Lords of Dogtown, Thirteen, and Twilight. The production has also included music supervisor and KCRW presenter Chris Douridas (“American Beauty,” “Shrek II,” “Austin Powers”) and costume designer Mona May (“Clueless,” “Enchanted”).
The producers of “Street Smart” are Hardwicke, Jamie R. Thompson of New Dimensions (“97 Minutes”), and Natalie Marciano of Poster Child Pictures (“Freud’s Last Session”). G-BASE’s Gerard Butler and Alan Siegel, Jamie Marshall (“Den of Thieves,” “Twilight”), Furhman, Zovatto, David Lasky, and Michael Arata, as well as Rock Jacobs and Batia Parnass of Rebel Entertainment, are executive producers.
With its realistic depictions of independent musicians busking on the boardwalk, the local skate culture, and an engrossing fusion of the raw energy reminiscent of “Thirteen” and “Lords of Dogtown,” Thompson remarked, “Street Smart” beautifully captures the essence of the dynamic Venice lifestyle.”
In order to ensure that “Street Smart” not only tells a compelling story but also “inspires empathy and drive action in addressing the pressing challenges faced by unhoused youth, particularly those who face mental health challenges, CPTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), and LGBTQ discrimination,” the filmmaking team consulted with charitable partners like Covenant House and Safe Place for Youth, both of which focus on assisting unhoused and at-risk young individuals, according to a release.
“Working with Covenant House and Safe Place for Youth to help more young people escape life on the streets is a great honor,” Marciano stated. “Our group is committed to taking meaningful action, and we want to use the transformative potential of art to foster empathy and awareness for this important issue.”
UTA and Luber Roklin represent Fuhrman; CAA, 2PM Sharp and Ryan Nord represent Shahidi; CAA, Megan Silverman Management and lawyer Christopher Abramson represent Cimino; CAA and Luber Roklin represent Zovatto; Innovative Artists represents Kemp; and UTA, Atlas Artists and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich, Goodell & Gellman represent McKenna. CAA and Management represent Hardwicke and Sheff.
