KCU Pitchfest Showcase 2023 (Top 50)

The Brakers

MJ and their crew are mad. A lot. At everything. They break stuff, write on walls–they’re the middle school punks everyone says to avoid. But when one of them has a near-miss biking on a busy road, they put their antics on hold to create a protected bike lane–and discover their usual method of getting things done, yelling and breaking stuff, isn’t going to cut it. To figure out who denied the construction of the bike lane and try to get the decision reversed, MJ and the crew must team up with one cranky old lady, one rival bicycle “gang,” (the cross-generational Bikers4Good), and worst of all: one older sister.

Can this group of pre-teen punks use their power to break things for fixing their city… Or will their crew be dispersed forever?

My Why:

What do you do when nothing feels like it’s made for you? With Brakers, we answer from our own experiences of feeling misunderstood.

For Neve, Brakers answers with a non-binary character who doesn’t suffer for their identity, and with young people who feel empowered to make changes in their community–who are not afraid to find help without bowing to tyrannical authority.

For Julian, Brakers shows us characters who reach out to a community that doesn’t understand them. MJ’s crew discovers they don’t need to isolate themselves to stay true to their identities and unique points of view.

And of course… Let's not forget they both think their home city could have more bike lanes.