In this compelling new documentary from filmmaker Dale Bailey, four first time train-hoppers parallel the extreme highs and lows of hopping freight trains with filming street skateboarding on an epic, 3000 mile journey across the Southern States.

With minimal supplies in modest backpacks, skateboarders; Ryan, Jordan and Samji began in Florida with filmmaker Dale, and his bare essentials of camera gear. The group had the intention of illegally hopping trains from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific but with little idea of how to do it. ALL ABOARD compares the trial-and-error process that comes with riding freight, filming skateboarding, and living without shelter, all while experiencing the comradery of skateboard culture across the United States. From downtown security to rail cops, from the streets to the yard, you always have to be looking over your shoulder.

Cast and crew in attendance for post-screening Q&A.

Tuesday, September 4
Doors 6:15 pm | Movie 6:45 pm
Advance tickets $12 | $15 at the door

*Minors welcome in the balcony! Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service and main floor seating.
**Sorry, Rio Theatre Groupons and passes not accepted for this event.

The Story

The grittiness that skateboarding and train hopping share was obvious to the fearless leader of the trip, Ryan Fyfe-Brown, wanting to not only pair the two up in a film, but to see if he and his friends could actually hop trains in the first place. After extensive online searches, very little information was found on riding freight trains, and there was almost no decent footage of anybody really doing it. Thinking that it might be somewhat a thing of the past, he brought Dale Bailey along to document an honest telling of what it takes to sneak into train yards, find rideable trains, and get to where you intend to go, all without being caught or injured.

The film’s charm comes from the two other friends that were carefully recruited. Too many people would make it riskier to sneak around train yards and sleep in public places, though more people were needed in order to lessen the burden of filling out the skateboarding side of the film. They would need to withstand harsh travelling conditions, be content in not knowing when and where they would end up, and still be motivated to skateboard every day for this two month journey. Close friends, Jordan Marowitch and Marcus Samji, both brought the light-hearted, gung-ho attitude to their boards and to the trains; when times were easy and when times were tough.

Relationships are what breathe life into this film. Bookended by cold metal and scraped elbows, the Type A/Type B personality clash between Ryan and Jordan adds the comedic relief that some of the most desperate situations call for, while the genuine acceptance by local skateboarders throughout the journey brings the necessary sentiment.

Lastly, the film served as somewhat of a social experiment with the travelers. Coming from privileged backgrounds with stigmas about street culture, the four wanted to explore the toll that living homeless would take on a person, and how accessible basic help would be for people that are already living that situation. Where to sleep, where to feel safe, where to find healthy food, and even just where to go to the bathroom is difficult in a downtown that looks at you as if you would rather rob them than just pee in their toilet.

ALL ABOARD (Dale Bailey, 2018 / 75 mins / PG) Four first time train hoppers parallel the extreme highs and lows of hopping freight trains with filming street skateboarding on a 3000 mile journey across the Southern States.