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Thalente Biyela was 14 the first time skateboard legend Tony Hawk spotted him ripping tricks at a skatepark during a visit to Durban, South Africa. "He stood out because he had such incredible style and natural talent," Hawk recalled years later. He pulled the teen aside and told him he wanted to send him some gear from his skating company, but was stunned when Biyela declined his offer. "You can't," he told Hawk. "I live on the street." Homeless since the age of eight, Biyela began fending for himself on the tough streets of Durban rather than living with his abusive stepfather.

Thalente Biyela was 14 the first time skateboard legend Tony Hawk spotted him ripping tricks at a skatepark during a visit to Durban, South Africa. "He stood out because he had such incredible style and natural talent," Hawk recalled years later. He pulled the teen aside and told him he wanted to send him some gear from his skating company, but was stunned when Biyela declined his offer. "You can't," he told Hawk. "I live on the street." Homeless since the age of eight, Biyela began fending for himself on the tough streets of Durban rather than living with his abusive stepfather.

“I Am Thalente,” the La Film Fest documentary Audience Award co-winner, tells the inspiring story of aspiring skater Thalente Biyela. Growing up as one of Durban, South Africa’s numerous street kids (he was on the streets by 11 due to a bad home environment), Thalente found solace and motivation in the skate park. Discovered by Tony Hawk and other pro skaters, Thalente’s sweet nature and prodigious talent inspired those around him to try and help lift him up out of his situation. Natalie Johns’ film follows Thalente’s journey as he tries to make it as a pro skater in America, mentored by big time skaters such as Hawk, Kenny Anderson, and others. Johns is more than just a documentarian, but a friend and support system for Thalente, moving him into her home, getting him a tutor, and connecting him with people who can teach him the ropes of the industry,...