International Competition

Minding the Gap

Bing Liu
Screening time  
27.02. / Wednesday, 21:00 - 23:00 Theatre 1  
28.02. / Thursday, 15:00 - 17:00 Theatre 1  
02.03. / Saturday, 11:00 - 13:00 Theatre 1  
Director explores the gap between fathers and sons, between discipline and domestic abuse, and ultimately that precarious chasm between childhood and becoming an adult.

First-time filmmaker Bing Liu’s documentary Minding the Gap is a coming-of-age saga of three skateboarding friends in their Rust Belt hometown hit hard by decades of recession. In his quest to understand why he and his friends all ran away from home when they were younger, Bing follows 23-year-old Zack as he becomes a father and 17-year-old Keire as he gets his first job. As the film unfolds, Bing is thrust into the middle of Zack’s tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend and Keire’s inner struggles with racial identity and his deceased father. While navigating a complex relationship between his camera and his friends, Bing explores the gap between fathers and sons, between discipline and domestic abuse, and ultimately that precarious chasm between childhood and becoming an adult.

Bing-liu

Bing Liu

Bing Liu is a Chicago-based director and cinematographer. His 2018 critically acclaimed documentary Minding the Gap has earned more than 30 award recognitions since its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. He is also a segment director on America To Me (2018), a 10-hour documentary series examining racial inequities in America’s education system. Bing is a 2017 Film Independent Fellow and has a B.A. in Literature from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

General sponsor

Minding the Gap

USA
2018, 98'

Directed by:
Bing Liu

Cinematography:
BING LIU

Edited by:
Bing Liu, Josh Altman

Music:
Nathan Halpern, Chris Ruggiero

Producer:
Diane Quon

Produced by:
ITVS, Kartemquin Films, P.O.V./American Documentary

Festivals & Awards:

Nagrade Oscar – Academy Awards Nominee – Documentary Feature; Sundance Film Festival 2018 – U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking; Next Wave Award Special Mention; Audience Award Feature, Emerging Artist Award Honourable Mention; IDA Documentary Awards 2018 – Best Documentary; Outstanding Achievement in Direction, Outstanding Achievement in Editing, Outstanding Achievement in a Debut Feature Film; Film Independent Spirit Award 2019 – Best Documentary nomination; Sheffield Doc/Fest 2018 – Audience Award, New Talent Award; RiverRun IFF 2018 – Best Documentary Feature; Sarasota Film Festival 2018 – Best Documentary Feature; Telluride Mountainfilm 2018 – Best Feature Documentary, Audience Award