BUCKLE BROTHERS International Documentary Competition

Just outside of Compton, men and women are riding horses and winning rodeos! Director Marquette Williams cleverly illuminates this clash of cultures, highlighting the Old West spirit of South Central Los Angeles.

BUCKLE BROTHERS is exuberant cinema. It’s an extraordinary portrait of urban cowboys and a fascinating LA story. The film follows four young cowboys-Lil Ron, 23; Yah·Yo, 18; Mike, 18; and Jazmine, 18 on the rodeo circuit, exposing us to an urban subculture rarely seen, as Lil Ron pursues the title of Rookie of the’ Year. This film explores the duality of the urban cowboy, whose roots of a rural lifestyle are planted in the concrete of today’s inner city.

With an entertaining cast of characters and riveting coverage of the thrilling rodeo rides, Williams provides a comprehensive and thoroughly engaging view of these urban cowboys, allowing us to get to know and like them, while giving us the lens to reexamine any preconceptions of South Central Los Angeles.