Only The Young, the new documentary about California Christian Skateboarders, plays like a Larry Clark film with a conscience. We look at scenes from it and talk with director Jason Tippet about what it meant to shoot kids that weren’t far removed from his own background and learn a lot more about the teenage (almost)wildlife on BYOD with Ondi Timoner.

ONLY THE YOUNG is the story of the children that inhabit a small desert town in Southern California–a town dominated by foreclosed homes and underpasses, unfilled swimming pools and skate parks. The three teenagers of focus must find things to do in a place that offers nothing–but in observing their day-to-day lives, we see them discover friendship, first love, heartbreak, and what it means to be young. Tippet and Mims’ delicate, ethereal filmmaking and ONLY THE YOUNG’s innocent yet rebellious subjects collectively embody the very essence of adolescence.

Jason Tippet Bio:

Jason attended CalArts for his undergraduate degree where he directed Thompson his first short documentary that won the Grand Jury Award at SXSW 2009. The film went on to play Sundance and a handful of other festivals.

He’s following that award winning short with ONLY THE YOUNG, an extremely intimate view into the friendship of two young men, Kevin and Garrison, two high school aged, evangelical skateboarders.

The film premiered at True False film festival in March 2012 and is set to air on POV July 15th, 2013.