Winner of a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at last year’s Sundance Film Festival and now shortlisted in the Best Documentary category at this year’s Oscars, MINDING THE GAP is a vital and heartrending story about young men growing up in Rockford, Illinois. Compiling over 12 years of footage shot in his hometown, director Bing Liu searches for correlations between his skateboarder friends’ turbulent upbringings and the complexities of modern-day masculinity. As the film unfolds, Bing captures 23-year-old Zack’s tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend deteriorate after the birth of their son and 17-year-old Keire struggling with his racial identity as he faces new responsibilities following the death of his father. While navigating a difficult relationship between his camera, his friends, and his own past, Bing ultimately weaves a story of generational forgiveness while exploring the precarious gap between childhood and adulthood.

Produced by Chicago’s Kartemquin Films (HOOP DREAMS, THE INTERRUPTERS), MINDING THE GAP is one of the year’s most bracingly honest documentaries.

“Keeping the rough edges in place makes this portrait of youth feel acutely intimate and thrillingly alive.” (Rolling Stone Magazine)

“MINDING THE GAP is more than a celebration of skateboarding. With sensitivity, the director, Bing Liu, delves into some of the most painful and intimate details of his friends’ lives and his own.” (The NYTimes)

“MINDING THE GAP draws on more than a decade of documentary footage to assemble a poignant picture of young American lives that resonates far beyond its onscreen subjects.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

“A rich, vibrant experience that can be at turns both heartbreaking and uplifting.” (Collider)

“Shot over 12 years, it’s a thorough-and unforgettable-examination of toxic masculinity, and how it’s crippled the lives of America’s young men.” (The Daily Beast)

Sunday, January 27
Doors 2:30 pm | Movie 3:00 pm
Advance tickets $10.50 HERE | $12.50 at the door

Tuesday, January 29
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm
Advance tickets $10.50 HERE | $12.50 at the door

*Minors permitted in the balcony. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
**Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK! Please redeem at the door.

MINDING THE GAP (Bing Liu, 2018 / 93 mins / 14A) Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.