Greetings. I had great time in Boston at the NAMAC Conference (National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture). I participated in an Open Session on making the media arts field and the foundations that support them more diverse, less sexist, racist and elitist. Tall order. We have spent the last 40 years since the Civil Rights Movement pushing Affirmative Action and African Americans still are at a disadvantage when it comes to health, education and employment. Women have made some strides, but they still face salary inequities and the glass ceiling. Not to mention the breakdown/segregation along ethnic, economic/class lines, sexual orientation, and disability (please send a better word for this). We have a lot of work to do! For a field that supposedly believes in diversity, the leadership ranks are overwhelmingly monolithic. How can we change this! Send me your comments here and let’s get to work on a manifesto! The plan is to 1) write it; then 2) get organizations and individuals to sign off on it; and 3) enact/follow through on the principles in practice. Let’s take this on together, one person at a time. Please leave a comment. Thanks.
Review of DIY DAYS in PHILLY
August 2, 2009
Nicholas, Nadine, Saskia, & Javier chill out at the Brandywine Workshop during DIY DAYS PHILLY
I had a blast at DIY DAYS here in Philadelphia on August 1st. This one day conference was sponsored by The Workbook Project and PIFVA. The sessions were held at University of the Arts and the after party at the Brandywine Workshop. My favorite quote of the day is from John Threat, “Nothing goes viral unless you sneeze on a few people.” People came from LA, Orlando, New York, New Jersey and every place in between to connect with Philly area media makers and exchange ideas. Shout out to Lance Weiler, Zeke Zelker, and Caroline Savage for pulling this amazing group of volunteers and speakers together. To see images and info from the conference go to the DIY DAYS page here. Peace.
Audio Excerpt from Presentation at West Oak Lane Jazz Festival
June 24, 2009I showed four films on June 19th: Thirty-Eight Twenty; I Used to Teach English; Anna Russell Jones; and Cosmic Trane. Thanks to PIFVA and Media Concepts for the subsidy grant that allowed me to assemble these works from 1987 to 2003 onto DVD to preserve these documentaries about North Philadelphia. Click here for audio clip from the introduction.
The North Philly Connection in Film and Music with talk back by Nadine Patterson
May 26, 2009
At the West Oak Lane Jazz Festival on Friday June 19th from 11am to 12:30pm I will give a special screening and discussion on music, film, and the influence of North Philly art and culture in my film work. It’s free! Just come to the West Oak Lane Senior Center. The Senior Center is located at 7210 Ogontz Avenue in Philadelphia. It’s a mini retrospective of my films over the past 20 years and most of these film are not on Youtube. These docs feature Philly artists/teachers such as Marshall Allen, Toni Cade Bambara, Sam Brown, Germaine Ingram, Carol Johnson, Anna Russell Jones, Odean Pope, Marcia Pincus, Ursula Rucker, Ed Shockley, and the music of Warren Oree and the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble. [pictured above Bobby, Marlene, and Thurdmond circa 1960 at the #2 Bus stop on Pulaski Avenue in Nicetown-Tioga]
HBO’s ‘No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’ debuts Sunday March 29th 8pm
March 22, 2009HBO’s ‘No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency’ will compete for best drama series at the Emmys
From the website Gold Derby by Tom O’Neil
There’s been some confusion among Emmy-watchers over whether HBO’s “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” which debuts on March 29, will compete at the Emmys as a miniseries or a drama series.
HBO’s Emmy gurus tell Gold Derby that it will qualify in the drama series lineup since the program has more than the requisite six episodes airing during the Emmy eligibility period — the network will air seven.
“The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” stars American R&B singer-actress Jill Scott as “fat and fabulous” Precious Ramotswe, who’s devoted to solving crimes in Botswana, and Anika Noni Rose (Tony Award winner for “Caroline — Or Change” and star of the film version of “Dreamgirls”) as her hyper, officious assistant.
The show had a successful launch on the BBC in the U.K. over the last week, drawing more than 5 million TV viewers. One reviewer for the London Times offered praise, as he put it, giving it three out of five stars. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B” grade, noting that it’s full of “glowing cheerfulness” while calling it “feel-good television in a way that’s startling from HBO, home of dark, rich stuff like ‘The Wire’ and ‘Six Feet Under.’ ” However, Tucker adds, “Just because this tale of a jolly detective is light doesn’t mean it’s slight.”
We get an early Emmy prognosis from a moderator of The Envelope’s message-boards who lives in the U.K., Andrew Pickett (known as “andrew” in our forums with a lower-case “a” because he’s so modest) who viewed the TV launch. He reports:
A late and possibly a big entrant into the drama series races at the Emmys arrives on HBO on March 29th when the late Anthony Minghella’s (“The English Patient”) pilot for “The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” premieres. The series based on the best-selling novels by Alexander McCall Smith stars Grammy winner Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe and “Dreamgirls’” Anika Noni Rose as her assistant Grace Makutsi. The pilot episode is Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghella’s final film and a fitting tribute which should be rewarded with at least a directing nomination when the Emmy nominees are announced in July. He also co-wrote the episode with Oscar nominee Richard Curtis (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”).
The series is shot entirely on location in Botswana and looks very different from the majority of competitors for this year’s emmy awards. With HBO’s campaigning multiple emmy nominations seem very likely, it will be competing in the drama series categories and while the series race could be too crowded with “Lost,” “Mad Men,” “24,” “House,” “Dexter” and “Damages” among the favorites it still could surprise and make it in.
More possible are lead actress for Scott, where she could be head to head with “ER”’s Angela Bassett to become the first African American lead actress Emmy winner in a drama series. Anika Noni Rose looks like a good bet for at least a supporting nomination as she has a good range on display, as well as an accent, so a win could be possible. Behind the scenes nominations should be plentiful as the series looks beautiful and writing is likely too as the dialogue is very entertaining, but also authentic.
“The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” is a breath of fresh air in this mostly disappointing year for new series and could very well make a big impact on the Emmys as well as with audiences.
On Bass on MiND TV February 12th, 14th, and 15th
February 8, 2009On Bass, a five minute short excerpt from the feature film script for Touching Bass will air this week starting on Thursday February 12th at 10pm on Channel 35/MiND TV/WYBE. In the short a young British woman, Zera Montgomery, discovers that her father Casey has passed away in their London flat. His last thoughts before he dies are about his home town Philadelphia. Casey had lived in exile for over 30 years as a jazz musician in Europe. Written/Directed/Edited by Nadine Patterson. Starring Warren Oree and Sia Kpakiwa. Thanks to the cast, crew and people in the community for making this short film possible. And special thanks to Hebert Peck and the people at MiND TV for continuing the series of Philadelphia Stories.
On Bass in Philadelphia Stories 6, MiND TV Channel 35 airs over Broadcast TV on these dates: Thurs. Feb 12th at 10pm; Sat. Feb 14th at 9pm; Sun. Feb 15th at 1pm
**Info for film fans: we shot it on Mini DV with the Panasonic AG DVX100-A camera in 24p. We used a 4 wheel dolly not just a tripod for the interiors. Black Pro-Mist Filter was used for interiors and a Polarizing filter for the sky shot.
NAACP Report Shows Television Industry Still Falls Seriously Short In Achieving Diversity
December 18, 2008Organization’s ‘Out of Focus, Out of Sync—Take 4′ Report Urges Quick Action, Establishment of Task Force Encompassing Network Heads to Create Standards
Hollywood, CA, (Dec. 18, 2008) – The NAACP Hollywood Bureau today announced its latest findings in a new report titled “Out of Focus, Out of Sync—Take 4” that shows the entertainment industry, particularly television, continues to fall seriously short in achieving diversity.
NAACP officials warned that without quick action to reverse the bleak statistics cited in the 44-page report, the industry could face political action.
“At a time when the country is excited about the election of the first African American president in U.S. history, it is unthinkable that minorities would be so grossly under-represented on broadcast television,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous.
“Perpetrating the situation is the fact that the few African Americans in higher positions in that industry lack power to green light new series’ or make final creative decisions, which has translated into a critical lack of primetime programming by, for or about people of color,” said NAACP Hollywood Bureau Executive Director Vicangelo Bulluck.
The “Take 4″ report cites statistics that show an ongoing trend where African Americans and other minorities continue to be under-represented in nearly every aspect of television and film businesses, while largely being denied access to significant positions of power in Hollywood.
Specifically, the report reveals that hiring, promotion and acting opportunities for minorities are directly tied to highly subjective practices, a closed roster system and potentially discriminatory membership guild requirements. The serious shortage of minority faces on primetime television can also be traced to the virtual disappearance of black programming since the merger of UPN and WB networks into The CW network, according to the report.
To help remedy the situation, the report recommends the establishment of a task force comprised of network executives, educators and NAACP coalition partners to update a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between parties and create best practice standards throughout the industry.
“The NAACP has a long history of working in partnership with the networks, studios, guilds, agencies and others to create substantive opportunities for people of color in front of and behind the camera,” Bulluck added.
For more information and to download a copy of the report, visit naacp.org.
Hipcinema Comment: You can always invent another special program for ‘minority makers’. However I believe the key to changing the industry is to provide capital to independent filmmakers who support diversity in front of and behind the camera. ‘Minority makers’ in America of Asian, Latino, and African descent need to work together in making and marketing our films. Check out this article by Philip W. Chung about Asian American filmmakers having a difficult time in the industry.
Fundraising Continues for Touching Bass
October 17, 2008Fundraising is one of the most difficult parts of filmmaking. (The most difficult thing is writing a good script!) So our model, in these difficult financial times, is micro-financing. We can fund the creation of the feature Touching Bass if we sell 10,000 CD’s of the soundtrack. This soundtrack is a solid creation of good jazz music composed by bassist Warren Oree with Umar Raheem on saxophone, Adam Faulk on piano, and JuJu Jones on drums. WRTI has given the album plenty of air play over the past few months. You can purchase a CD from Sound of Market Street in Philadelphia (11th Street just south of Market, on the 2nd floor). We will list other stores that sell it in the future. If you want to purchase a copy online, click onto the links in the sidebar under “Buy Our Soundtracks on Sale Here”. To all of the people who have purchased a copy, THANK YOU. Visit us on myspace and become our friend.
Anna Russell Jones Doc Oct 12th @ The Perelman Annex of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
September 1, 2008On the second Sunday of every month the PMA will showcase short films about the intersections between life and art. Anna Russell Jones: Praisesong for a Pioneering Spirit will screen with Open Score on Sunday October 12th, 2008 @ 2pm. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to see ARJ on the big screen and see the building that critics have raved about. Open Score will screen first, followed by ARJ.
Tickets are $7, PMA Members $5; this includes films and admission to the museum.
Location: Perelman Building
26th Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Fairmont Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
Anna Russell Jones: Praise Songs for a Pioneering Spirit (1993, 26 min). Produced by Marlene G. Patterson. Directed by Nadine Patterson. Narrated by Toni Cade Bambara. Music by Warren Oree and the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble. Meet Anna Russell Jones (b. 1902) an African-American woman who made great strides in the early 20th century as a textile designer, World War II veteran and nurse. In 1926 she was the first African American woman to graduate from the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art). One of the only women to work as an independent textile designer in the 1930’s. And one of the oldest women at the age of 39 to join the military during World War Two. This half hour documentary shows the accomplishments of this talented Philadelphia design artist, who had the presence of mind to save her life’s work and donate it to the African American Museum of Philadelphia. Through photographs, hand drawn textile designs, and personal stories we learn timeless lessons about what it takes to be an artist and an independent woman in America. Winner, Best Documentary African American Women in the Arts Film/Video Festival, Chicago 1993.
Street Movies to Screen Touching Bass Trailers!
August 18, 2008This week in Philadelphia you will have the opportunity to see the trailers for Touching Bass and speak with filmmaker Nadine Patterson in person. Each program will start at 8:30pm and will be held outside. So bring blankets and a comfy chair. Click on Scribe Video Center for info on other films showing.
The audience enjoys the cinematic sounds of Touching Bass. Photograph by Boone Nguyen.
