I’m Just Here For The Riot

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

On June 15, 2011, the Canucks’ Game 7 Stanley Cup Final loss to the Boston Bruins sparked a massive riot in downtown Vancouver. I’m Just Here for the Riot is a stirring look at the unrest and the lingering fallout for those involved.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

From hockey diehards to more casual fans, this film succeeds in capturing the attention of a wide swath of viewers – drawn to both the dynamic recap of the series but also the riveting human destruction that ensued. It manages to both entertain and provoke, which is the benchmark of the best sports documentary films. And in doing so, it reaches two other high-water marks: continuing the proud tradition of groundbreaking docs that transcend the game and creating a template for how that tradition can be pushed in compelling new directions.

It manages to hold a mirror to all of us, including the most intense and passionate hockey fans, and makes us confront our basest instincts. It also recaps a tumultuous moment in the life of a city and a team, capturing for posterity the way the event transformed everyone who experienced it. Straddling a perfect line between sports drama and human weakness, it is a powerful document of not just one incident – but of where we are and where we’re going.

Objective

In the spirit of _30 for 30’s_ signature catchphrase, what if I told you the 2011 Vancouver riot was the first social media riot? At the time, it was the most documented riot in history, with one million photos and thousands of hours of footage aiding police investigations. Beyond law enforcement, it was also the first riot that sparked a digital witch-hunt, forever changing how we record and respond to public disorder.

The film’s goal was to show how the mixture of the new – social media, camera phones – and the old – social unrest spurred by sporting events – spawned an era of vigilantism via scroll, upload and click. The naming and shaming following the 2011 Stanley Cup riot changed people’s lives and how we record our own history.

More than a reflection on violence, the film examines the deeper forces behind fandom and collective chaos. Why do big games provoke such intense emotions? What societal factors contribute to this mayhem? And most importantly, what lessons can we take to prevent history from repeating itself?

In true _30 for 30_ fashion, this is more than a sports story—it’s a gripping look at humanity, anarchy, and the fragile line between passion and destruction.

Strategy & Execution

The approach of directors Kat Jayme and Asia Youngman was one of empathy; they did not want to give any rioters a pass. At the same time, they needed to understand how the night unfolded the way that it did to make even the harshest critics ponder what they would have done if they had been present that night. They connected and built authentic relationships with different people who were present during the riots—including five participants.

This project began with a city-wide social media request for photos and videos from that night. They had dozens of amateur filmmakers and others who filmed with their cell phones come forward with never-before-seen photos and videos of the riot. They licensed, cleared, and used this footage to compliment traditional broadcast news media footage, and to act as verité to bring us into the riot’s actual chaos and violence. The rawness of this personal archival footage that had never been seen, made the riot sequences in the film visceral, authentic, and alarming. They also filmed key subjects who were there that night, walking through an exhibit-like space with enlarged iconic riot photos on the wall and riot footage playing on a big screen.

Organizations

• ESPN Films

Credits

Kathleen S. Jayme
Director
ESPN Films

Asia Youngman
Director
ESPN Films

Heather Anderson
Executive Producer
ESPN Films

Marsha Cooke
Executive Producer
ESPN Films

John Dahl
Executive Producer
ESPN Films

Rob King
Executive Producer
ESPN Films

Brian Lockhart
Executive Producer
ESPN Films

Burke Magnus
Executive Producer
ESPN Films

Michael Tanko Grand
Produced By
ESPN Films

Gentry Kirby
Produced By
ESPN Films

Mike Johnston
Co-Producer
ESPN Films

Kaayla Wachell
Director of Photography
ESPN Films

Greg Ng
Editor
ESPN Films

Katie Chipperfield
Editor
ESPN Films

Marquis Daisy
Senior Producer
ESPN Films

Carolyn Hepburn
Producer
ESPN Films

Kristen Lappas
Producer
ESPN Films

Adam Neuhaus
Producer
ESPN Films

Catherine Sankey
Line Producer
ESPN Films

Gus Navarro
Associate Producer
ESPN Films

Isabella Seman
Associate Producer
ESPN Films

Diamante McKelvie
Production Assistant
ESPN Films

Anthony Salas
Production Assitant
ESPN Films

Jeff Arias
Post Production Editor
ESPN Films

Shawn Howard
Post Production Editor
ESPN Films

Sharee Stephens
Talent Producer
ESPN Films

Azim Lateef
Talent Producer
ESPN Films