Bikelantis

BIKELANTIS is a feature documentary about bicycle culture around the United States and follows filmmaker Manny Cervantes on an autobiographical sketch of his love of people and communities centered on bike-friendliness.

Shorty after completing principal photography, Emmanuel “Manny” Cervantes, 35, of Lafayette, Indiana, passed away on May 15, 2014. Manny was a creative thinker and an energetic force who made lasting connections with many people in the communities he visited. Being with him typically included riding bikes, taking chances, thoughtful talks about art or bike culture, and some laughs.

Since 2012, Manny was working hard on accomplishing one of his dreams, a full-length documentary on bicycle culture around the United States.  He toured the country filming and interviewing cyclists of all stripes to get a perspective on what is advancing cycling in their specific areas.

BIKELANTIS explores more than 20 cities and looks at bike shops, bike sharing, advocacy, bike touring and many other topics affecting cyclists nationwide. Lafayette, Indiana is featured as a vibrant, cycling community where biking is evolving and the Hood Ride Bicycle Shop in Phoenix, Arizona is showcased as an example of a fully realized bicycle habitat.

In filming BIKELANTIS, Manny rode around the country seeking out diversity in cycling experiences and searching for this bike utopia in real life. While Manny is no longer with us, his dream to uncover and redeem Bikelantis lives on.

This is BIKELANTIS. #Bikelantis #livelikemanny

  • Manny Cervantes
    Director
  • Luis Eduardo Villamizar
    Producer
  • Manny Cervantes
    Producer
  • Manny Cervantes
    Writer
  • Luis Eduardo Villamizar
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 19 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 11, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    15,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Miami Independent Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Los Angeles CineFest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    Semi-Finalist
  • Arizona Sunburn Film Festival
    Tucson
    United States
    July 27, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood Screenings Film Festival
    Hollywood, CA
    United States
    Semi-Finalist
  • Roma CinemaDoc
    Rome
    Italy
    Official Selection
  • Lift-Off Amsterdam Film Festival
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    Official Selection
  • Special Event - FilmBar's Bike-In Movies
    Phoenix
    United States
    October 22, 2018
  • Special Event - Film Screenings & Events
    Lafayette, Indiana
    United States
    April 27, 2018
    North American Premiere
  • Golden Tree International Documentary Film
    Frankfurt
    Germany
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Manny Cervantes

Manny graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana majoring in cinematography and spent his career working in various small business media production settings, shooting and editing commercials and other video projects. His freelance promotional videos for various artists and community arts and cultural events are widely viewed online.

In his later years, he grew as a bicycle enthusiast and in 2012, began working on a feature documentary about bicycle culture around the United States. In filming ‘BIKELANTIS’ he toured the country for over two years, chronicling his various tours and interviewing cyclists of all stripes to get a perspective on what is advancing cycling in their specific cities.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

When I met Manny, he was already a bicycle enthusiast and in 2012 began working on this documentary film, chronicling his various cycling trips around the country.

As we completed principal photography, he stayed with me for a few weeks in Atlanta and started post-production. Shorty after leaving Atlanta, Manny passed away on May 15, 2014.

In October of that year, I started working again on the film, organizing tons of footage and photos. Since that time and over the last few years, the entire process was extremely emotional. Hearing Manny’s voice, laughter and struggles unfold on film was tough at first but it also kept me going, driving me to complete his documentary.

Luckily, Manny and I discussed his vision for Bikelantis before and during his time in Atlanta. I’ve always wanted to stay true to his original concept, his vision for the film as best I could. Some things I had to figure out and some, I couldn’t do. Though he may be gone, I wanted to keep his memory and legacy alive by honoring him and completing his film. But his legacy is really about life and living. Manny‘s travels and interactions remind us we must decide the kind of life we want to live and the kind of world we want to live in. In his own words, here’s a bit of what he started writing for a Director's Statement:

“Bikelantis is a personal essay about my love for cycling; a love letter if you will. It’s a very personal documentary with me at the forefront expressing my memories, opinions, ideas and impressions of what’s happening in the world of cycling at this time. The aim of the film is to entertain, educate and excite; to make people want to get on their bikes and explore!”

-Luis Eduardo Villamizar, Producer