If a Movie is created and not shown, does it exist.......

I often think about the many hurdles, creative people have to jump, in order to make it. This comes to mind as I think about the excitement, and in some circles, controversey, revolving around the movie, Red Tails. It's not surprising (at least not to me), that it took a White, male, billionaire filmmaker to point out how difficult it is to fund, produce, and distribute a film by, starring, and about African Americans. This whole chapter brings to mind my own struggles as a filmmaker and animator. It also makes me think about those friends and acquaintances of African decent, who also strugglrein this cinema fraternity.

It's hard to believe that I have been in and around animation and film making for nearly twelve years. And at no time during this period have I ever felt that I've made it, or that I am secure where I am. Within the first year and a half after coming out of graduate school, my first film was in four film festivals, but I was sleeping on a air mattress on the floor of a friend in Harlem and then the home of a friend of a friend in Jersey City. Although during that time, I was only able to find work as a TA at NYU, I thought I was about to make the big time, by having my film seen in New York and LA.

Little did I know during my first year and a half out of school, that my education would continue, in a very real way. I was applying, in person to studios for 3D animation work, and not even given a chance. But I remember after a screening of my film at the Urbanworld Film Festival, I thought my fortune was about to change. I was approached by the owner of a distribution company, who was very interested in my film. This company will remain nameless, but it has been responsible for putting many African American films on TV.

I received the paperwork for an offer from this company, not too long after the film festival. This is where another class in film making was about to take place. I reviewed the offer/contract, and was shocked to see how much power I would have to give up, in return for so little money. The offer was a exclusive license of my film, for a period of five years, where I could not sell, could not exhibit, could not put my film online, and could not distribute this film for employment purposes. All of this for the grand, handsome price of $1000. My film would have been shown during Black History Month as a syndicated program of films, shown on Saturday afternoons on network TV.

I heavily pondered this offer, but could not get past how little I was offerred and how little control I had over my own work. I thought, one year of work for $1000. I couldn't even pay rent and eat off of that for one month in New York. I didn't respond for two weeks, when another offer of $2000, came to me. It was then, that I wrote back that I could not accept this offer. I though of this as a slap in the face, for one year of work, that I completed on my own. Another thing that rubbed me the wrong way, was that this was a White owned company, solely acquiring African Produced films.

Now, before anyone gets offended by the last sentence, understand where I, and many African Americans come from, in our suspicion and even anger. The goal of creating films is to have them seen, and hopefully to the largest audience possible. But just as important, is that we can make a living from all of the education and hard work that we have put into our creation. African Americans have very few outlets for financing and distribution. And most, if not all outlets to have our works seen, are through entities that are White owned. 

It's difficult to explain to anyone, what racism and discrimination are to those who have never and will never experience it. Many African Americans complain, that their images are not seen, or even seen truthfully on mainstream television or on the big screen. I don't want my work relegated to 1pm on Saturday afternoon, with little marketing, and few people in front of the TV. If I had accepted that deal, few people still would have seen my work, and I would have only had $2000 to show for it, while the distribution company had full control over my work, without my say so. 

I have seen so many great short and feature films by Black people from all over the world. The problem is that many millions more will never see these great works. It's sad to say, but until I became an animator, I never even though about going to film festivals where these great works are screened. And many of these great works are relegated further, to only being seen at African or African American film festivals. I witnessed sci-fi films, action, drama, and experimental film, most of which I have never seen again. 

I hope that the publicity of Red Tails will open some doors for some of the great films I've seen and those yet made by African Americans. I want to see films by African Americans and all peoples on over 2000 screens like any other major or blockbuster film. I want to see creative people, from writers, crew members, directors, animators, actors, and the like, making a good living at entertaining and educating all of us. I don't want to see people of color having to accept being taken advantage of, in order to have their works seen.

I applaud George Lucas for enlightening the world, to the plight of the African American filmmaker. I challenge more Whites to confront the innequality that we as people of color face,  not only in the film industry, but within American life in general. I challenge the African American community to pool our resources to create distribution companies, own movie theaters, and promote our films. All people have a right to create and have their voices heard and images seen. We all have stories to tell, and it is the responsibility of all of us, to make sure that these stories are told, and that the creators can make a good living by creating them.

James Bowman

Artist, 3D Animator, and Arts Educator

Monkkey, Episode 2 is now ready

Indeed it has been a long time since the last chapter. However it isworth the wait. Many obstacles bring fourth well inspired material.Thanks to all of those who enjoyed the last chapter and checked inwith me from time to time to see when the next chapter was coming out.Thanks to those w......ho simply enjoyed the last episode!This chapter is in stereo. So plug in your headphones or speakers and subwoofers so you don't miss the little nuances. The Monk's tale continues. Enjoy

Please take time to view it at http://www.monkkey.com/

A.M. Frasier

When are we going to be strong enough to say NO!!!

With so much positive energy flowing throughout the USA presently, why do WE as Blacks and Latinos still choose, willingly to degrade ourselves. I make this statement in referece to the film, Next Day Air. Now, before I continue, I must state that I have not, and probably will not see this film. With that said, the plot of this film deals with a lazy, weed smoking delivery man who works with a partner who likes to steal from the packages they are supposed to deliver. The lazy/pot smoking lead character delivers a large box of drugs, mistakenly to two lazy hustlers who are near eviction from their apartment. The plot thickens when the man, whom the drugs were supposed to be delivered to, angrily looks for the missing drugs all while dealing with his loudmouth, scantily dressed girlfriend.

Now I know I've said a lot to fill and confuse your mind, but keep one thing in mind. All of the pathetic characters in this film are of African Decent. The reason why I ask "When are we going to be strong enough to say NO", is because we do not have to shuck and jive and shoot people anymore to work in film. I may be naive in my thinking, but aren't there enough people of African Decent whom have the skills, money, and resources to create and distrbute pieces that reflect a broad spectrum of ideas. Why should the likes of Donald Faison of Scrubs fame, acclaimed Actor/Rapper Mos Def, Mike Epps, Wood Harris, Darius McCrary, and the legendary Debbie Allen even go near such a project? Are roles that diffrucult to come by for Blacks and Latinos? Or do we even care about the images that we portray about ourselves?

The answers are Yes and No respectively. Hollywood only seems willing to open its multitude of doors for for rolls that glorify, violence, ignorance, stupidity, and laziness within the African Diaspora. Yes there are films that portray these attributes to Whites and other races, but Hollywood allows for a diverse balance of both intellectualism and foolishness within the many films that feature White actors and subject matter. To the second question that I posed, I will quote something my father always told me. We are too willing to sell-out cheap. Blacks and Latinos just see an opportunity to work and make a living without looking at the overall consequenses of accepting certain degrading rolls.

This is a dilema which gave Halle Berry an oscar while leaving Angela Bassett out of work. I am referring to the lead role in the film Monsters Ball, which Halle Berry won the best actress academy award. Angela Bassett was up to portray the lead, but declined because she thought the part was degrading. I have known friends who have been put in similar situations, in various parts of the entertainment field, and have chosen to remain on the outside in order not to degrade themselves or other people of African Decent. I know the pain that they feel, to be so close at success, but unable to sell themselves out to allow success to happen.

My question remains, When are we going to be strong enough to say NO?

Nation of Cowards or Nation of Heroes

I have to agree with Attorney General Eric Holder. In a recent statement from the Attorney General(http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=6905255&page=1) , he states that America is a nation of cowards in regards to the race issue. It's sad that on the same day, a political cartoon featured in the New York Post reiterated the idea of America still not being able to come to grips with race (view the cartoon at the Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/18/new-york-post-chimp-carto_n_167841.html ). The cartoon shows two police officers, one pointing a smoking gun toward a a dead chimpanzee, who is riddled with bullet holes, while the other police officer stands with a caption over him stating "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill".

As a Black man, I often live in a world of either anger or self-doubt. The anger comes from the thought of being treated as less than worthy because of the ignorance of racism. While the self-doubt comes from a fear of being unqualified or just not good enough. What we see within the media either compounds or conflicts with the experiences of our realities. Being Black, you're always on guard, hoping not to be harassed by police or treated as if you are an outcast. While I cannot speak for Whites, I do not believe that they walk around with that same apprehension.

After having struggled, and continue to struggle to break into the animation industry, I have lived with the confounded dichotomy of anger and self-doubt which questions my abilities, talent, and education. Ever since graduating from the School of Visual Arts, It has been an uphill battle to get work as an animator, while at the same time receiving praise for what I can do. I have not been alone in this kind of story. I have heard from colleagues and former classmates whom are of African decent who have told similar tales. So maybe it's not paranoia, but barrier of discomfort and fear that has kept us out.

It may have been much easier for this nation to elect a Black President than for a company to hire a Black animator, engineer, lawyer, accountant, associate professor, and etc. I know that there are successful African Americans in the fields I just mentioned, but not many. And I would guarantee that the road they had to travel to reach such goals gave them much pain.In order for Barack Obama to become President, he had to use more money and media time than any other candidate in history, to get elected. He had to persuade America that he was non-threatening, and trustworthy. He had to work to make America comfortable with him, not as a person, but as a African American. Without the money and media coverage(along with his education, charisma, and experience), there would not be a President Obama today.

For everyday African Americans, we have to work hard just to be lucky. Meaning, we HAVE to have to be high school honor students, we HAVE to have a college education, or we HAVE to be the best athletes in whatever sport, just to wait and hope a White employer or team owner to pick us. Until then, the many hard working African Americans wait in fear that either we are not good enough or that our race will hinder us from our success. This is not a delusion, but a reality where as the longer we wait, the more susceptible we are to giving up on our dreams, and accept lives that are far beneath our abilities and talents. African American people still have to prove their worth in this country in order for Whites(who own and control the vast majority of businesses and job opportunities) to feel comfortable enough to give us a chance. I do not mean to offend anyone by this post, but the pain and hardships people of African Decent experience everyday, should never have to be burdened upon anyone. We shouldn't have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and constantly be on TV before we can be "judged by the content of our character" as Dr. Martin Luther King once said.

We as Americans must confront our pain and fear of one another in order to survive. Lets make sure that we give ALL people a fair chance to succeed and thrive.

The Festival was a success

The Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival is not one ta have missed. This past weekend was a very enjoyable time, especially with my film Kindred Immortal being well received. The Island is beautiful and the people were just as appealing. I recommend this place and this film festival for evreyone to visit.

With that said, there were many good films to be seen at the festival. Particularly, Silent Choices by Faith Pennick, which tackles the truths and myths about abortion in the Black Community. As well as the audience award winning film, I'm Through with White Girls by Jennfer Sharp. The title of the second film may be an enticement or a discouragement, but this film will dispell the sterotypes that you may expect. And also Algeny:The Genetic Factor by Andrew Burroughs, a sci-fi thriller about a man with a unique immune system. This film was the winner of the HBO best feature award.

All in all, I as everyone who reads this blog to support all of the films which were at the festival. You can see a listing at http://www.mvaaff.com/index2.html . And please spread the word about my film and the other films that were chosen to be a part of such a wonderful experience.


James Bowman

Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival

Call for entries to the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival. Submissions are due by June 15th. Please visit http://www.mvaaff.com for more details.