When Adam Yauch walks into the room, he’s demure. Graying, meek, and quiet, it’s hard to imagine him the delinquent who, 22 years ago, coaxed us into fighting for our right to party. He’s a man who shook stadiums, starred in classic videos, forefronted New York rap for over two decades, and is now establishing himself as a filmmaker to be reckoned with. Yauch is here to discuss his first major Beastie Boys-less project—the precise yet goofy documentary Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot, about eight elite high school basketball players and the lead-up to an all-star game in Harlem’s hallowed playground, Rucker Park.

Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys has taken time off from saving Tibet to direct a movie. His documentary Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot follows eight of the nation’s top high school basketball players as they dribble in the “Elite 24” all-star game in Harlem’s Rucker Park. It was chosen earlier this week to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival as a spotlight film. Yauch’s past credits have included the concert documentary Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That! as well as numerous Beastie music videos under the moniker “Nathaniel Hörnblowér.”