Hello all,
For those who are still unaware, next week Mecca and I are filming a short version of our soon-to-be produced movie ZEMIRA.
We still need and are very open to either help on the set or donations so we can ably feel our actors and crew.
For the set, we still need a Script Supervisor, Boom Operator and Best Boy, and an affordable Make-Up person. But mostly we Production Assistants (PA) in which you'll basically just need to either help myself, Mecca or various crew members with different things we need for that moment. We'll be shooting on Thursday June 3, Friday June 4th and Sunday June 6th. If you're able to help, please contact me by email or by phone (917-697-4157) and I'll give you even more details.
Thank you to those who have already promised to volunteer their time to help us on set. I'll be contacting you all individually over the next few days on which positions I'll need you to fill.
Thanks also to those who have promised to provide some extra money or supplies for food for the cast and crew. Please send any monies for that to our Paypal donation page at: http://www.zemirathefilm.com/donate_now. Just click on the Donate Now button which leads directly to our PayPal account OR enter my email address: curtis.john@gmail.com to send funds directly to me.
We realize that some of this is very last minute so any help you can provide will be more than appreciated. We look forward to making movie magic happen with or through your help.
Sincerely,
Curtis John
Director, ZEMIRA
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Real Life, Zemira: An Interview With Charlotte Mishell (Part 1)
She is a woman, a poet, and a teacher. She is Charlotte Mishell. Over the past four years she has become a staple to the NYC spoken word scene through her hard-hitting, thought-provoking poetry, as made evident on her album Love, Charlotte.
Recently, Team ZEMIRA caught up with Charlotte at a NYC bookstore to pick her brain on the art of poetry, her inspiration, and the state of the young black female in America.
The first installment of our Real Life, Zemira series, our interview with Charlotte Mishell is one of several interviews with real-life women from which ZEMIRA draws its inspiration and mission.
So take a minute to watch the interview, soak in the discussion, and discover why it is we all love Charlotte.
Recently, Team ZEMIRA caught up with Charlotte at a NYC bookstore to pick her brain on the art of poetry, her inspiration, and the state of the young black female in America.
The first installment of our Real Life, Zemira series, our interview with Charlotte Mishell is one of several interviews with real-life women from which ZEMIRA draws its inspiration and mission.
So take a minute to watch the interview, soak in the discussion, and discover why it is we all love Charlotte.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Will The Real Zemira Please Stand Up?
By now, many of you out there who've been following me and Curtis' progress in making this film and are familiar with the story of ZEMIRA, know that it's loosely based on real-life experiences that I've had growing up in the South Bronx. By now, you should also know our mission in making this film in the first place: to give a voice to the other Zemira Black's of the world, the thousands of girls across the country who share her experience, to tell their collective story.
Keeping this mission in mind, Curtis and I thought how inspiring it would be to hear and share stories from some of the young women who make up this collective--the real-life Zemiras. We want to hear from these young women (like some of you who may be reading this right now) about what they are doing or have done to overcome the challenges of poverty, racism, sexism, and other adversity. We want to hear these stories, tape these stories, read these stories, and post them right here on this blog for all the world to see. We want to applaud these women for beating the odds.
To submit your story or suggest someone we should interview, please write to us at zeetalk@zemirathefilm.com.
On that same note, we also want to add that we are still accepting entries for our "I Love the Bronx" contest. The winner will get 2 VIP tickets to our film premiere as well as a DVD of ZEMIRA (once completed)! We may even throw in a surprise or two.
Thus far, we've been getting some really cool and heartfelt entries and look forward to sharing them with you all in the coming weeks. Still, keep sending in your words, poems, songs or videos and remember - it can be about growing up there, it can be about the culture, the music – whatever it is, we just want you to share with the world at large your affection for why the Bronx is important to you and should be to us all.
Entries will soon be displayed weekly on our website, blog and Facebook and the best will be displayed at future fundraisers.All entries can be submitted by email to: ILoveTheBronx@zemirathefilm.com.
Audio, video, written and or multimedia entries will maintain the author’s copyright but your submission to this series gives the officers of Zemira Film Inc the right to display your work for social, entertainment and fundraising purposes.
--Mecca
Keeping this mission in mind, Curtis and I thought how inspiring it would be to hear and share stories from some of the young women who make up this collective--the real-life Zemiras. We want to hear from these young women (like some of you who may be reading this right now) about what they are doing or have done to overcome the challenges of poverty, racism, sexism, and other adversity. We want to hear these stories, tape these stories, read these stories, and post them right here on this blog for all the world to see. We want to applaud these women for beating the odds.
To submit your story or suggest someone we should interview, please write to us at zeetalk@zemirathefilm.com.
On that same note, we also want to add that we are still accepting entries for our "I Love the Bronx" contest. The winner will get 2 VIP tickets to our film premiere as well as a DVD of ZEMIRA (once completed)! We may even throw in a surprise or two.
Thus far, we've been getting some really cool and heartfelt entries and look forward to sharing them with you all in the coming weeks. Still, keep sending in your words, poems, songs or videos and remember - it can be about growing up there, it can be about the culture, the music – whatever it is, we just want you to share with the world at large your affection for why the Bronx is important to you and should be to us all.
Entries will soon be displayed weekly on our website, blog and Facebook and the best will be displayed at future fundraisers.All entries can be submitted by email to: ILoveTheBronx@zemirathefilm.com.
Audio, video, written and or multimedia entries will maintain the author’s copyright but your submission to this series gives the officers of Zemira Film Inc the right to display your work for social, entertainment and fundraising purposes.
--Mecca
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
ZEMIRA: A Community Project
Gosh. Is it February already?? The new year is surely off to a running start and if you were half as busy as Team ZEMIRA was in 2009 then you know that 2010 is shaping up to be the year where all that hard work will finally pay off. Still, like many of you our job is far from over. As we continue to make great strides in the pre-production phase of our film, growing ever closer to getting this film made and in theaters, we realize that in order to achieve our goal we must kick things up a notch in our efforts to raise the funds necessary to cover the cost of producing ZEMIRA.
We have a fantastic and in-demand Director of Photography, Francisco Escobar, who grew up in conditions similar to our title character and understands first-hand what we’re trying to accomplish with this film on both a social and artistic level. We're mutually excited to work with each other. As such, we are reaching out to you all via ChipIn.com, as your donations will enable us to pay Francisco and his crew, keep working artists working, and ultimately empower a generation.
If it’s just $5 or $20 you can spare, that’s wonderful, as every amount matters; donors who contribute $50 or more will get a DVD of the film once its completed, $200 and up will also have their names included in the film's end credits under "Special Thanks To," and if you’re able to be as generous to donate $500 or above, you can get what they call a ‘walk-on’ role in the film, which basically means you’ll be one of the ‘background’ characters (non-speaking) in an essential scene of the film. Donors who contribute $1000 and above will receive Associate Producer credit. All contributions will be made tax deductible by way of our fiscal sponsor. Either way, your gift will be one that will never cease giving. Chip in now:
http://zemira.chipin.com
We have a fantastic and in-demand Director of Photography, Francisco Escobar, who grew up in conditions similar to our title character and understands first-hand what we’re trying to accomplish with this film on both a social and artistic level. We're mutually excited to work with each other. As such, we are reaching out to you all via ChipIn.com, as your donations will enable us to pay Francisco and his crew, keep working artists working, and ultimately empower a generation.
If it’s just $5 or $20 you can spare, that’s wonderful, as every amount matters; donors who contribute $50 or more will get a DVD of the film once its completed, $200 and up will also have their names included in the film's end credits under "Special Thanks To," and if you’re able to be as generous to donate $500 or above, you can get what they call a ‘walk-on’ role in the film, which basically means you’ll be one of the ‘background’ characters (non-speaking) in an essential scene of the film. Donors who contribute $1000 and above will receive Associate Producer credit. All contributions will be made tax deductible by way of our fiscal sponsor. Either way, your gift will be one that will never cease giving. Chip in now:
http://zemira.chipin.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
ZEMIRA casting call--looking for a few good men
'ZEMIRA’ – Independent Feature Film - Non-Union Males
Zemira Film, Inc. is casting non union males for feature film Zemira. Curtis John Dir. Curtis John and Mecca Woods Writers. Casting begins early December. Shooting starts early spring TBA.
PRODUCERS: Curtis John and Mecca Woods
SYNOPSIS: ZEMIRA is a coming-of-age story loosely based on real life events. It centers around the title character, Zemira Black, a book smart but awkward African-American girl struggling to find her place and her voice in the world. As if dealing with the stress of being a teenager isn’t hard enough, Zemira struggles with the adversity of her drug addicted parents and an upbringing in a violent South Bronx neighborhood, both of which are starting to destroy her unless she can figure out how best to fight for her life.
For more information check out http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68832074830 or http://www.zemirathefilm.com
COMPENSATION: Reel copy, credit, transportation/meals
Submit headshot/resume electronically to: zemirathefilmcasting@gmail.com--please include role for which you are submitting in the subject.
DARRYL – MID 30s
Darryl Black is the proud father of Zemira and Amir. Charming and studious, Darryl should have been an professor, or a philosopher, or with his tendency to keep his head in the clouds dreaming, an artist. He did try the artist route for years, but without any encouragement from his hard-to-impress family that aspect of his life fall apart – something that has kept him distant the rest of his life and caused him to turn to drugs to repress. Growing up, he never thought he’d fit the stereotype of the aimless Black man society likes to center on, but after a falling-out from his conservative Muslim family, Darryl has become his own worst enemy. How can any man raise a family right when he hates himself so badly?
Chain smoking coupled with a heroin addiction don’t make matters any better, but surprisingly he’s still an handsome guy, with a thin but muscular build and smooth dark skin. If you didn’t see the track marks in his arms (among other areas), you’d never know he was a serious user. His long bouts of pensiveness often annoy his family, but Jeanette can break him out of it easy by putting on some Stevie, Miles, or Luther.
AMIR – TO PLAY 12 to 14 years old
Amir is the Zemira’s little brother. Quiet but personable, he’s a real boy who loves videogames and computers, cartoons and sports. Unlike many of his peers though, he’s unnaturally neat and organized, and has a pretty even temperament. That said, Amir’s no weakling – when it’s time to throw down he can kick yo’ butt and have you screaming for your mother.
In a lot of ways, Amir is the antithesis of his sister. Not prone to high emotion, he’s very popular in school and some girl is always sweating him, which helps enhance his lack of academic achievement with them doing his homework. His second hand clothes don’t matter to him, Amir sees himself as better than most. Although he has no musical talent, hip-hop is his main love, and he constantly tries to rhyme, much to the detriment of his friend’s ears.
SHANE – TO PLAY 17 years old
Head of the local drug crew, Shane is an intimidating guy who’s violent, vengeful and manipulative nature keeps all of his ‘people’ constantly on his toys. Tall and chubby, he’s a smooth talking and convincing guy who is good at getting people to see his point-of-view. Often alternating between his West-Indian patois and American vernacular, Shane becomes even crazier when he’s drinking – which is frequent. Zemira is dangerously attracted to him.
DR. MONROE –LATE 30’s-EARLY 40’s
The family therapist to the Black’s, Dr. Monroe is an attentive and even-tempered man whose fight to help families from the hood become well-adjusted people is his passion. Originally hailing from a bad area of St. Louis, his street smarts allow him to get past the gruffness of the Black’s in order to bring them to the next level of their therapy. He feels Zemira is the key to making them a stronger family. A bit pudgy, Dr. Monroe has a good sense of humor…once he actually gets the joke.
TIMOTHY – TO PLAY 16 years old
Timothy is Zemira’s first boyfriend. A tall, attractive, and light-skinned Jamaican boy, he’s Zemira’s first true love. But how does he really feel about her?
RASUL – TO PLAY 16 years old
One of Shane’s drug dealing crew, he’s a native of the neighborhood and grew up with Zemira. Although he used to tease her, he’s feeling her now. But with his doofy demeanor and heavy acne, even the insecure Zemira isn’t desperate enough to give Rasul the time of day. A heavy follower, there’s no way Rasul will last long on the streets if he keeps up with this drug life.
Zemira Film, Inc. is casting non union males for feature film Zemira. Curtis John Dir. Curtis John and Mecca Woods Writers. Casting begins early December. Shooting starts early spring TBA.
PRODUCERS: Curtis John and Mecca Woods
SYNOPSIS: ZEMIRA is a coming-of-age story loosely based on real life events. It centers around the title character, Zemira Black, a book smart but awkward African-American girl struggling to find her place and her voice in the world. As if dealing with the stress of being a teenager isn’t hard enough, Zemira struggles with the adversity of her drug addicted parents and an upbringing in a violent South Bronx neighborhood, both of which are starting to destroy her unless she can figure out how best to fight for her life.
For more information check out http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=68832074830 or http://www.zemirathefilm.com
COMPENSATION: Reel copy, credit, transportation/meals
Submit headshot/resume electronically to: zemirathefilmcasting@gmail.com--please include role for which you are submitting in the subject.
DARRYL – MID 30s
Darryl Black is the proud father of Zemira and Amir. Charming and studious, Darryl should have been an professor, or a philosopher, or with his tendency to keep his head in the clouds dreaming, an artist. He did try the artist route for years, but without any encouragement from his hard-to-impress family that aspect of his life fall apart – something that has kept him distant the rest of his life and caused him to turn to drugs to repress. Growing up, he never thought he’d fit the stereotype of the aimless Black man society likes to center on, but after a falling-out from his conservative Muslim family, Darryl has become his own worst enemy. How can any man raise a family right when he hates himself so badly?
Chain smoking coupled with a heroin addiction don’t make matters any better, but surprisingly he’s still an handsome guy, with a thin but muscular build and smooth dark skin. If you didn’t see the track marks in his arms (among other areas), you’d never know he was a serious user. His long bouts of pensiveness often annoy his family, but Jeanette can break him out of it easy by putting on some Stevie, Miles, or Luther.
AMIR – TO PLAY 12 to 14 years old
Amir is the Zemira’s little brother. Quiet but personable, he’s a real boy who loves videogames and computers, cartoons and sports. Unlike many of his peers though, he’s unnaturally neat and organized, and has a pretty even temperament. That said, Amir’s no weakling – when it’s time to throw down he can kick yo’ butt and have you screaming for your mother.
In a lot of ways, Amir is the antithesis of his sister. Not prone to high emotion, he’s very popular in school and some girl is always sweating him, which helps enhance his lack of academic achievement with them doing his homework. His second hand clothes don’t matter to him, Amir sees himself as better than most. Although he has no musical talent, hip-hop is his main love, and he constantly tries to rhyme, much to the detriment of his friend’s ears.
SHANE – TO PLAY 17 years old
Head of the local drug crew, Shane is an intimidating guy who’s violent, vengeful and manipulative nature keeps all of his ‘people’ constantly on his toys. Tall and chubby, he’s a smooth talking and convincing guy who is good at getting people to see his point-of-view. Often alternating between his West-Indian patois and American vernacular, Shane becomes even crazier when he’s drinking – which is frequent. Zemira is dangerously attracted to him.
DR. MONROE –LATE 30’s-EARLY 40’s
The family therapist to the Black’s, Dr. Monroe is an attentive and even-tempered man whose fight to help families from the hood become well-adjusted people is his passion. Originally hailing from a bad area of St. Louis, his street smarts allow him to get past the gruffness of the Black’s in order to bring them to the next level of their therapy. He feels Zemira is the key to making them a stronger family. A bit pudgy, Dr. Monroe has a good sense of humor…once he actually gets the joke.
TIMOTHY – TO PLAY 16 years old
Timothy is Zemira’s first boyfriend. A tall, attractive, and light-skinned Jamaican boy, he’s Zemira’s first true love. But how does he really feel about her?
RASUL – TO PLAY 16 years old
One of Shane’s drug dealing crew, he’s a native of the neighborhood and grew up with Zemira. Although he used to tease her, he’s feeling her now. But with his doofy demeanor and heavy acne, even the insecure Zemira isn’t desperate enough to give Rasul the time of day. A heavy follower, there’s no way Rasul will last long on the streets if he keeps up with this drug life.
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