Empire Skate
2025 | Coast Film & Music Festival
Duration: 80 min
Synopisis
EMPIRE SKATE chronicles the colorful rise and enduring influence of New York skateboarding culture, through the global phenomenon of Supreme and intimate portraits of the characters who breathed life into that world. From the highs of breakout film success and the creation of a brand and movement to the lows of fractured families and the loss of close friends, it is a style-and-substance trip through a unique moment when multiple trends converged on one city to create something timeless.
Featured at Coast Film & Music Festival 2025
Production Team
Josh Swade is a NYC-based documentary filmmaker whose work explores sports, music, and culture. His latest film, EMPIRE SKATE (ESPN 30 for 30), tells the story of the ’90s street kids who helped build the foundation for the iconic skate brand Supreme. His previous films include RICKY POWELL: THE INDIVIDUALIST (Showtime); ONE & DONE (Showtime) about NBA All-Star Ben Simmons; THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME (ESPN 30 for 30); #BRINGBACKSUNGWOO (ESPN 30 for 30); RICK WAS HERE (Rolling Stone Films) on music producer Rick Rubin; and ARTHUR & JOHNNIE (ESPN 30 for 30), the first 30 for 30 film to win a Primetime Emmy. Swade has also produced projects for ESPN Films including TIGER HOOD, 24 STRONG, and WHEN THE PHOG LIFTED.