A great opportunity for screenwriters without representation – as long as you HAVEN’T made more than $5,000 on a previous script. Get your Mixed Roots Stories for the big screen ready, and apply for this chance to attend the Sundance Film Festival and receive a professional mentorship. DEADLINE: December 1, 2013
Here’s the link for more info: http://tinyurl.com/lavqfaj
Lenny Kravitz has not been silent about his racial background. He has been known to tell his story through music. In his recent album, Black and White America, he discusses the world in which his parents met and he was raised.
In this video he shares what it was like being called out by a student on his first day of school that his father was White and what it was like being a mixed in school.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/lenny-kravitz-race-biracial_n_3355448.html
This tumblr blog is moderated by four diverse twenty-somethings and as of this posting has a community of over 2000 strong! Check it out & join the conversation:
Kartemquin films, which produced outstanding documentaries like Hoop Dreams and The Interrupters is looking for diverse filmmakers for their Diverse Voices in Docs professional development program. The application deadline is December 3, 2013 – you can access the application HERE
Here’s some more information on Kartemquin and the program from one of my favorite blogs, Shadow & Act:
Fusing words, dance, music and film this story chronicles the quest of a mixed-race daughter from Southern Appalachia who eventually finds her homeless Vietnam Veteran father suffering in Hawaii. SNAPSHOT was nominated for BEST ACTRESS at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, special selection at: Cape Town Festival South Africa and International Women’s Festival Tornio Finland and recipient of: Brooklyn Arts Council Individual Artist Grant, and Kentucky Foundation for Women Arts Meets Activism Grant. See the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdNsYF6UJro
West Virginia PBS premiere Sunday November 10 at 8pm and Tuesday November 26 at 9pm
Find out more about this storyteller at: www.mitzisinnott.com
Another very thoughtful blog post on growing up in a culturally mixed family: https://medium.com/race-class/a1bd3e46cc3c
from medium.com/race-class
Although it comes with a hefty price tag ($200), if you know of a worthy filmmaker, actor, singer or writer who tells Mixed Roots Stories, this is a great way to show your support. The fee is tax deductible and they are accepting submissions until November 15, 2013. Click this link for their Guidelines and Instructions packet: https://www.naacpimageawards.net/submissions/45th_NIA_GuidelinesandInstructions.pdf
from indiewire.com
Gary Anthony Williams and Jeannie Roshar are an interracial writing team (who also direct and act). They co-founded the LA Comedy Shorts Festival, which premiered the short film I Own You – about the ups and downs of interracial love. They have now sold the film as a feature to Lionsgate (the company that brought us Crash, Precious)
Here’s a plot synopsis of the film, written by Roshar:
Ronnie, an African-American man, and Betsy, his Caucasian wife, are shocked to learn that in the 1800’s, her family owned his in slavery. At first, Ronnie brushes it off, but then an ax, a dashiki, Oprah Winfrey and a cotton ball cause him to look at his wife in a whole new way.
We’ll be keeping track of the film here on our blog. Let us know if you had a chance to see the short and what your thoughts are! We at MixedRootsStories.org are cautiously optimistic.
NPR’s Code Switch blog does it again.
This story was hitting the headlines across the country. Journalists were interviewing families whose children had disappeared, thought to be kidnapped, asking them if they thought this could be their child. Meanwhile, they were showing pictures of the couple that this little girl was found with…and she looked like them…other than the fact her skin and hair was lighter. Then we find out…they ARE her parents!!!
Code Switch brings to light that this is not the first time that this has happened to a Roma Child.
This happens in America too…Families do not always MATCH! Interracial families and families who have transracial adopted children are who first come to mind of families that might not visually always look the same. But families come in a variety of different sizes, shades. and make ups. We must be cautious with first impressions on our ideas of what is a “family” and what “family” looks like.
Yayoi L. Winfrey filled out our ‘promote your story link’ to promote her film Watermelon Sushi. Let us know if you have any projects you’d like us to promote!
“Michiko Johnson looks Asian. She says she’s black. A hip-hop head, soul sistah who greases on greens and cornbread, Michiko is outspoken about her African roots. She adores her younger sister, April, whose physical features are more African than hers. But April speaks fluent Japanese and eats only vegan meals with chopsticks.”
“Told against the backdrop of the rising rap music scene of the early 1980’s,Watermelon Sushi plans to feature old school rappers like Chuck D, Kool Mo Dee, LL Cool J, Afrika Bambaataa and newcomers like Japan’s superstar enka singer, Jero-san.”
In addition to being in film production Watermelon Sushi is an art exhibit series, a blog, and book of photos/poetry/illustrations “Watermelon Sushi: The Story of a Black Girl and Her Japanese Mother.”
http://www.watermelonsushi.com/