RHYMEFEST’S “IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE” PREMIERS AT TRIBECA

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Everyone has secrets. Maybe two, or even three. How many more so a family, a people or a community? From the opening moments of the feature documentary “In My Father’s House,” – which premiers at the Tribeca Film Festival – it is clear that this story of one man with one family in one city is also a communal tale – one that could lead to tragedy, or triumph.

Che Smith is a father, husband, Black man, Chi-town born and bred. He is also Rhymefest – the Grammy-award winning, Kanye and Common-collaborating MC. An Oscar for co-writing this year’s film anthem sits on his mantle. And yet, this Hip Hop artist allows us to take the journey with him to find his life’s missing link – his father.

The tumultuous ride begins when Rhymefest discovers his father Brian only a few blocks away – chronically alcoholic and living on the streets. After 20 years, the road to reconnecting is difficult. Rhymefest and his wife Donnie wrestle with the beauty and pain that arises from the reunion, while his father is forced to make the challenging choice between a future, and his past.

Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg craft a moving, illuminating view of an inter-generational family on the crux of crisis and change. Rhymefest’s journey is one of defining manhood in the face of fatherlessness, and the grave effects of abandonment and addiction, that become the traumatic inheritance of generations. Yet in his quest to build a legacy, Rhymefest, along with his father, struggles against the cycle, striving to build not only his family, but also a village.

Seeing Rhymefest on screen – and then hearing him live on the stage as the credits rolled – punctuated the film’s artful mix of family drama, music doc and inspiration story. Much RESPECT to this family for allowing us to walk with them on this journey, and become open to some healing along the way. A must see!

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BLACK & WHITE – PICTURES LEAD TO WORDS

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“Looked in the paper today -saw black faces in black veils – holding up black and white pictures of a black man / killed by white cops with black guns / in the black of night as he stood in the / white halls of his Boogie Down Bronx Building – still. ‘He fit the description of a black rapist’ said the white lawyers when the blacks came. He clutched a black wallet as the bullets rained – his white brain on the floor. Clear tears poured / like blood in the aftermath of disaster – and this black man is no more.”

– by motion, from Black & White – Motion In Poetry, 2002

Seeing this image at African Voices’ The Artivist Rises Exhibit immediately bought these words back to me, from a poem I wrote long ago, ‘Black & White’, and the moment I saw a picture of women marching with small #photos of #AmadouDiallo in ninety-nine, NYC. This image from those protests is now on the walls and pages of AfricanVoices, in 2015. #thestrugglecontinues #daretowin #motioninpoetry #blacklivesmatter

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TORONTO + NYC at AFRICAN VOICES “THE ARTIVIST RISES” EXHIBIT

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 From ‪Toronto to ‪NYC‬, the images differ but are still the same. ‪TOronto’s Jalani Morgan’s ‪#‎photography‬ featured. ‪#‎blacklivesmatter‬ ‪#‎torontostreets‬.

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‪‎America‬, do ‪#‎blacklivesmatter‬?? ‪#‎blackboy‬ ‪#‎blackart‬ ‪#‎painting‬ ‪#‎visualart‬ ‪#‎powerful‬

11156134_10155500152860515_1536236929503218640_nThis ‪art‬ piece by ‪Malik Seneferu‬ blew me away. Remember ‪Lil Bobby Hutton. ‪#‎blackpanthers‬ ‪#‎oakland‬ ‪#‎africanvoices‬ ‪#‎nyc‬.

For more from The Artivist Rises Exhibit by African Voices, see instagram.com/motionlive.

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MARY J BLIGE PREMIERS AT TRIBECA FESTIVAL

11147140_10155496284340515_4285044999872190781_n“Now you’re looking at a Leader. Now you’re looking at a Queen!” – Mary J. Blige

Even in midst of the highest celebrity, the true Artist must take time to be with Self, and hear the changing tide of the voice inside. This is the prevailing message of the illuminating and anticipated new documentary “Mary J. Blige: the London Sessions” which premiers at Tribeca Film Festival. An inside view of a seminal moment in Mary J’s life & career, The London Sessions is a moving b&w journey into the burgeoning London scene, and the creative spaces that ignite a month of musical magic. We took in Mary’s collabos with songwriters and producers Darkchild, Sam Smith, Amelie, Naughty Boy, Jimmy Knapes and more. A journey that leads to an album written, recorded and mixed in 30 days, the film plays more like a pilgrimage – emotional and revealing – and explores a woman, artist and icon who exemplifies killer work ethic, a willingness to go deep, and transcend pain into strength. An inspiring insight into the artistic process and layer-by-layer creation. Now, we grew up with Mary. Came of age to the sounds of Hip Hop Soul Queen to the women and artists we are today. It’s inspiring to affirm, like the London Sessions, that the journey of personal and creative rebirth continues. #tff2015 @ellomelloqenz #motionliveeye

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Tribeca Talks “Coming of Age” #TFF2015

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Live at Union Square Tribeca Film Festival‘s Tribeca Talks Script to Screen explores coming of age stories in film in “Act Your Age.” Filmmakers Felix Thompson and Ido Mezrahy speak on childhood, youth, teen hood, and the phenomenon of growing up on screen. Whether “Boyhood,” “Girlhood” “City of God” or “Kids” filmmakers continue to grapple with these crucial years of transformation in moving pictures. From fiction to documentary, “Film is a document of time, trying to capture the moments that change the rest of your characters’ lives.” #tff2015 #kingjack #gored @tribeca #barnesandnobel #filmlife #motionliveeye

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#TFF2015 PREVIEW – SOUTH AFRICA’S NECKTIE YOUTH

11146248_10155492228430515_5354370601352555387_nToronto to Tribeca to JOBURG > in the Regal Cinema above the low west of New York City, I found 23 year old filmmaker Sibs Shongwe-LaMer’s  NECKTIE YOUTH. Every frame is like a portrait in this b&w narrative collage – funny, painful, poetic, confessional, multi-cult, docudrama remix, set in an upClass suburb in post-apartheid SA. And even in the here/now, the inner struggle is still real. A day-in-the-life story sparked by a live-streamed suicide. Sibs speaks at #tff2015 Tribeca Talks “Script & Screen” on April 18 – Barnes and Noble Union Square, 1PM. #filmlife #southafrica #nyc #motionliveeye

 

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#TFF2015 in NYC

11162473_10155492278875515_4178596795897652523_nAt the @Tribeca #HQ. #Films #Music #Art #Technology #WomenFilmmakers #GlobalStories and more … #tff2015 #motionliveeye

Keep listening… https://tribecafilm.com/stories/tribeca-film-festival-2015-women-filmmakers-soundcloud-mix Sounds to go with the visuals. Mixed by www.LOqenz.com!

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TORONTO to TriBeCa FILM FEST 2015

A DJ and a Screenwriter take to the Tribeca Film Festival to embark on a multi-sensory perspective remixing the worlds of word and sound. Inspired by the over 30 international women filmmakers – and 11 female directors from New York City – featured in this year’s festival, L’OQENZ and MOTION (hailing from Toronto) will explore the artists, films and events that make up this cutting edge cauldron of creativity.

First Up: An exclusive Tribeca Film Fest Mixer by L’OQENZ! According to the renowned DJ and producer;

“My process for creating this mix included digging for music by New York natives, and those who developed their music careers in NYC. I selected everything from hip hop to rock, soul, jazz, infused with clips from some of the featured films.”

Expanding on their collaborations – from music, to theatre to film – these two women creators bring their inter-disciplinary POV to the festival. According to award-winning poet, playwright, screenwriter MOTION;

“We want to paint the picture of how diverse women are in art, music and film. Tribeca Film Festival provides the perfect climate to connect with global artists and discover the depth of diverse stories.”

Motion and L’Oqenz’s coverage highlights TFF2015’s intersections of music and film, global voices and debut works.

Read more Here: https://tribecafilm.com/stories/tribeca-film-festival-2015-women-filmmakers-soundcloud-mix

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ORALTORIO MixTape at Factory Wired

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A reading of Oraltorio: A Theatrical Mixtape

Written and Performed by Motion
Mixed by DJ L’Oqenz
Directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa

Spring is here, which means rain, wind, and grey skies. Until suddenly it doesn’t. Spring is a season of change, and of growth. Here at Factory, that means we’re continuing to change and grow, and I’m delighted to invite you to a special edition Factory Wired reading of Oraltorio: A Theatrical Mixtape, as we explore spoken word opera with live mix music from the Motion Live Collective. Beginning at 7:00 PM in the Factory Rehearsal Hall, this presentation will feature the spoken word poetry/libretto of writer/performer Motion, live mix from DJ L’Oqenz, and direction from Mumbi Tindyebwa.

Spring is here, which means rain, wind, and grey skies. Until suddenly it doesn’t. Spring is a season of change, and of growth. Here at Factory, that means we’re continuing to change and grow, and I’m delighted to invite you to a special edition Factory Wired reading of Oraltorio: A Theatrical Mixtape, as we explore spoken word opera with live mix music from the Motion Live Collective. Beginning at 7:00 PM in the Factory Rehearsal Hall, this presentation will feature the spoken word poetry/libretto of writer/performer Motion, live mix from DJ L’Oqenz, and direction from Mumbi Tindyebwa.

Oraltorio is informed by the sounds, evolutions, and movements of the culture of the African Diaspora music and oral culture. A coming-of-age tale, the story traverses space and time as the narrator rhythmically juxtaposes words with the DJ’s music to grapple with identity, gender, generation, and memory.

When we first read the piece we were immediately struck by how meaningfully and artfully it mixed genres and hearkened to traditional modes of storytelling, and the work of Ntozake Shange echoed in our minds. We’re excited to share this moment of the work’s evolution with you, and hope you can join us on.

Sincerely yours,

Nina Lee Aquino, Co-Artistic Director, Factory Theatre

MOTION is a poet/lyricist/emcee hailed by NOW Magazine as a “multi-talented, truthful artist.” She has been a Playwright-in-Residence at Obsidian and was a resident of the Banff Playwright’s Colony in 2013. An award-winning emcee and poet, her work has taken her to the stages of Manifesto Jamaica, the Urban Music Awards, CBC Television, Luminato, and HBO Def Poetry Jam.

DJ L’OQENZ is a powerful force to be reckoned with. DJ, producer, and arts presenter, she is a sought-after musical resource in Toronto and across the globe. Spinning everything from Hip Hop to jazz, she has toured across Canada, the US, Asia, the Caribbean, and the UK. She is the founder of Inner Voice Music Management.

MUMBI TINDYEBWA is a Kenyan-Ugandan-Canadian theatre creator and director raised in Kenya and Victoria, BC. She is the founder and Artistic Director of IFT Theatre and a recent participant in the Michael Langham Workshop in Classical Direction at Stratford. In 2011, she was honoured with the Mallory Gilbert Leadership Protege Award and nominated for the John Hirsch Award in Direction.

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ROAD TO E – MOTION PENS NEW SHORT AT CFC

Watch an excerpt from ROAD TO E, a short film that follows the journey of three lost souls over one unexpected night.
Written by Motion
Directed by Fernando Arrioja
Starring Kevin Jake Walker, Jordan Todosey and Noah Scott Ryan
Produced by Lora Campbell
Edited by John Nicholls
Cinematography by Dylan Maleod
Score by David Arcus

Contact: www.cfccreates.com || info@motionlive.com || www.motionlive.com

*Canadian Film Centre 2014

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