Take Bike the Streets: From Grassroots Story to Big-Screen Celebration

There are films you watch and then there are films you ride into. Take Bike the Streets is firmly the latter.

(ID: TBTS Film Poster (Bike silhouetted in yellow light with festival laurels)

This short documentary has grown far beyond its guerrilla-filmmaking beginnings. From its premiere to award recognition, community showcases, and outdoor screenings, I’ve been amazed by how the film has become a living extension of the movement it documents: advocating for active transportation, reclaiming public space, and reshaping how people see Gary, Indiana.

(ID: Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds stand before the Ken Parr Build a Bike Shop)

At its heart, Take Bike the Streets tells the story of a group of grassroots activists working to make biking safer and more accessible in a city that’s too often misunderstood.

(ID: The Take Bike the Streets official Film Trailer)

Gary’s infamous reputation tends to overshadow its resilience, creativity, and deep sense of community, and I wanted this film to push back on that narrative, showing real, tangible change driven by ordinary people who cared enough to act.

Making this film was a journey in itself. I shot it using guerrilla filmmaking techniques and a mix of devices, because this story grew out of lived experience rather than a polished production plan. After a decade working in film and television in Los Angeles, I returned home to Gary in 2015 to work as a community organizer. What followed was an unexpected path, one that led to active transportation advocacy, the creation of a volunteer-run bike shop, and a deep partnership with Ken Parr, a retired science teacher, lifelong bike advocate, and member of the Major Taylor Cycling Club.

Ken’s story sits at the emotional heart of the film. His passion, generosity, and belief in bikes as tools for empowerment shaped the initiative from the very beginning. Even after his passing, the work continued, and a decade later, Take Bike the Streets is still advocating, still teaching, and still upcycling bikes, powered entirely by volunteers, donors, and sponsors.

The film’s reception has been just as meaningful as its making. After its premiere, it earned awards and press attention, but some of the most powerful moments have come from local screenings, especially those rooted in bike culture itself. One of my favorite events was screening it at The Clutch Bagel + Grand Calumet Bike Shop, where the story literally came home to the community that inspired it.

(ID: Clutch Bagel's outdoor space people sit before a screen with bikes parked on the side.)

The Bike In Summer Series screens films once a month, each themed around cycling. These outdoor movie nights encourage attendees to ride their bikes to the screening, turning the event into a celebration of cycling, community, and storytelling all at once. Watching Take Bike the Streets under the stars, surrounded by bikes and neighbors, was one of the most authentic ways I could imagine sharing the film.

(ID: TBTS Promo plugger for showcase at the MBACD black backdrop with neon bike lit)

I also want to highlight how important our partners have been. The support from Transport Partners, VOCART, Northern Lights Eco Adventures, the MBACD, and the Hammond Area Career Center made this film possible. The Hammond Area Career Center in particular helped me with pickup shots and contributed expertise during post-production, helping bring the story to life on screen.

None of this would have been possible without my amazing production crew, grantors, sponsors, volunteers, and the many community members who gave their time, energy, and trust to this project. This film and the movement it documents, exists because of all of you, because of your belief in Gary, in active transportation, and in the power of community-driven change. I am profoundly grateful.

Ultimately, Take Bike the Streets is more than a documentary to me. It’s a record of what happens when people refuse to accept the status quo, when a city’s challenges are met with creativity instead of resignation, and when bikes become tools for connection, learning, and hope. The joy of producing this film lies not just in seeing it on screen, but in watching it continue to roll forward, into new audiences, new conversations, and new streets. You can read more about Take Bike the Streets and watch the film here.

Watch Take Bike the Streets here.

For more info about Take Bike the Streets and all of the programs the run

(including The Ken Parr Build a Bike) go to:

https://www.takebikethestreets.org/