I am an independent filmmaker who is trying to tell the stories of those that normally do not have a chance to tell their own. I have been working in the professional entertainment business since I was 14 years old. Believe that!
I started out working for a Broadway General Manager at 14 as an intern. We produced Blue Man Group, Chicago, All In the Timing, Broadway on Browady and a number of other musicals and plays on and off-Broadway. I always thought I wanted to go into the theater until I got a call from a good friend who was Michael Moore's assistant and she asked me if I wanted to work for Michael. I was 17.
I worked for Michael for a year, working on his first book, Downsize This! in 1995-96. I learned a lot from that man. I was fortunate enough to work very closely with him during my time there and after that I was convinced that I could make some interesting films if I had the chance.
But before long, I was shipped off to the lovely city of Los Angeles where I went to school at UCLA. I studied theater there, but during my sophomore year, an opportunity came along and I jumped on it.
I had started a non-profit called Equal Opportunity Productions, and we brought theater into Los Angeles Unified School District for free. I dropped off a letter one night at the UCLA Theater where Danny Hoch was performing his play, Jails, Hospitals and Hip-Hop, for 3 nights. I wanted some advice from him about my new non-profit. A few months later, I got a letter from Danny tearing apart my program, but in a good way. We became friends. The following year he asked me if I wanted to Executive Produce a movie version of Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop (which by the way is now for sale on dvd via www.jhhthefilm.com). I turned to my life long best friend, who had some cash, and we made it happen. We made the film in 1998-99 and it was my first real experience in the movie world. Oh yeah, I was still in school, but I would travel to NY every week, so I was doing my homework on the plane. 3rd Row. Seat A. TWA.
After JHH, my friend and I started a company, Kicked Down Productions, and began to seriously look at making movies. Although we had no idea how to make films, we bought an XL-1 (in 1998) and decided to make a film about the baseball games between the Baltimore Orioles and the Cuban National Team. La Esquina Caliente was made and it premiered at the Havana Film Festival in 1999 where it took home the Special Jury Prize. A bunch of folks from Sundance were in Cuba at the festival and came to our screening. We sold the film the Sundance Film Channel and we were off to the races.
People wanted another film from us, so we decided to keep going. In 2001-2003 we made a documentary film called Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, which made its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Although things were good, my partnership was falling apart, and it was time for me to move out on my own. I started my own company, Soze Productions, and I started to produce HBO documentaries for award winning filmmaker, Marc Levin. I co-produced Back in the Hood: Gang War II, a follow up to Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock which was on HBO in 1994. I also associate produced the Sundance hit, Heir to An Execution, which was about the granddaughter of Julius and Ethtel Rosenberg and her quest to find out who they really were. It was on HBO in June of 2004.
But, during that time, I also got the bug to make a narrative feature. I hooked up with longtime friends, Lori Silverbush and Paola Mendoza and we began the development of On the Outs. We made On the Outs in 2003 and in September of 2004 we premiered it at the Toronto Film Festival. It was a crazy experience, one of which I wish I could have blogged about, but it put me on a whole new path. I signed with Endeavor and I am now fucking with those Hollywood cats...to see if we can stir some shit out there.
I have continued making documentaries. I have been in Africa a lot recently, directing a film for Netflix about the last ruling monarchy in Africa, the King of Swaziland. I am also finishing a film that I co-directed with Rebecca Chaiklin about Russell Simmons and his quest to bring down the Rockefeller Drug Laws. And finally, I am also making another film with Rebecca about Wyclef Jean and his quest to bring peace to his homeland of Haiti.
I am only 28, and I know I have been very lucky to have success very young. But believe me, there is a struggle in this life and I will be more than glad to share it. This is not about me. This is about us.
This profile was edited with SpaceMisc.com Editor
This profile was edited with SpaceMisc.com Editor
