Pan African Film Festival - Evolutionary Blues... West Oakland's Music Legacy
EVOLUTIONARY BLUES ... West Oakland's Music Legacy is about West Oakland, the Oakland Blues, and how postwar development impacted African Americans and their musical heritage.
Interview with Director/Producer Cheryl Fabio
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I had just read Isabel Wilkerson's Warmth of Other Suns when a week later KTOP asked if I would Produce and Direct this film. KTOP is the City of Oakland's government channel. I was excited because I would get to dig deeply into Oakland's history and its relationship with our Black Community.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It's a fun film about an interesting group of people, who are entertainers with entertaining stories. Even more, their music is the Bomb! It's a great story that ends with HOPE! While it includes information about the structural impediments to success that Black Communities all across this country have faced repeatedly, this is a film that makes us all wake up and mixes the lesson with music!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I am from Oakland and witnessed parts of all aspects of this film. Some of the musicians have been friends of mine all my life but I never knew this story. What is intriguing about it for me is what is universal and will be intriguing for the audience. I am not a historian or a musical person. But this was my time and tells of things I've thought about or heard pieces about. The film not only explains how these musicians' experienced the past 30 or 40 years but explained to me how my family came to be part of this terrain.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Our original intention was to do a rather small film about the West Oakland Community. We knew there was a story of Blues music in West Oakland but not much beyond that. The film found it needed to include legends that had passed on and those legends had a big part in training a next generation - who we talked to about 35 of. I'ts in those interviews that the "history" comes alive and we see how personal and contemporary history can be.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Excellent feed back! It's a 90 minute film and sometimes we hear it's long but always that when it ends folks are sorry its over.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Well, I worked on this film in my pajamas often in the middle of the night. I had a great team to work with and its was helpful when they questioned me or saw something different than I did and we all needed to work through it. This was especially during the editing. But when we started showing the film, I was completely surprised by the reaction of our audiences. So many people felt like we were telling their personal story. They thanked us for bringing it to light. Of course there are others who wish we had covered so and so in the film, and we have acknowledged that in 90 minutes you can only tell an infinite number of stories but even that interest in having other stories told connected to this history, is a plus. People want more - at least from the community represented here - not just the local, it is a recognizable story around this country.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
If there is a way to increase the audience - we are interested. I am not at this point, looking for a streaming opportunity, rather increasing the awareness and interest in the project. I am very interested in educational distribution.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We need the City of Oakland to understand how important it is that they don't just sit on the project (not the TV Channel rather the government). We need an influx of money or negotiating with certain of the music licensors (the bigger companies) to move our non-commerical license to something more accessible. Then we need to find distributors that are aware of our community to get it maximum exposure there and others who have access to markets outside of the Black Community.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
This is one of those learning opportunities that is not as painful as many. The impact is to have audiences understand and embrace the history that is being shared, with some commttment not to continue to repeat. It's a tangible.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How can we expect a community to grow and thrive when we keep finding tools (whether it's discrimination in housing, politics and employment, redlining, freeways, redevelopment, drugs, guns, tanks, bombs, gentrification) all being used to destroy its fabric?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
A couple in early development as I'm finishing the distribution of this one. Too early to talk about it. The channel KTOP of course is producing its legislative calendar and looking for its next community based story to tell.
Interview: February 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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Evolutionary Blues... West Oakland's Music Legacy
EVOLUTIONARY BLUES ... West Oakland's Music Legacy is about West Oakland, the Oakland Blues, and how postwar development impacted African Americans and their musical heritage.
Length: 90 minutes
Director/Producer: Cheryl Fabio, has been making documentary films since 1970's, founder of Sarah Webster Fabio Center for Social Justice which identifies social equity projects and helps them find their legs.
Writer: T. Watts, a music journalist, poet and writer currently working on a book for Lester Chambers of the Chambers Brothers
Key cast: more than 35 Oakland based musicians from Jimmy McCracklin, Sugar Pie DeSanto, to Lenny Williams, Freddie Hughes, D'Wayne Wiggings, Fantastic Negrito and Faye Carol.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Social media handles:
Facebook: facebook.com/evobluesfilm
Twitter: @evobluesfilm
Instagram: @evobluesfilm
Other: website www.evolutionarybluesfilm.com
Funders: City of Oakland/KTOP
Made in association with: KTOP and Sarah Webster Fabio Center for Social Justice
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Screening dates are keep up to date on our website: www.evolutionarybluesfilm.com under the screening menu.