Why does the Caged Bird Sing: Maya

Caged Bird

A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn
and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.

cccccCCCCHHHHHyyyyyyyeeeeeAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHhhh!!!!!!!!

Media Lab community,

We know how hard it is to create a film and Media Lab Studios wants you
to be rewarded for your hard work. Click on the link below and see all
the film challenges we have currently running (ifc.com/medialab).

http://www.ifc.com/medialab

They include:

ABSOLUT WORLD Filmmaking Challenge
Submit a short film expresses what AN ABSOLUT WORLD means to you and
you could win an all expense paid trip to this year's AFI FEST valued at
over $8000 and be included in Absolut's party during the fest. Hurry
submissions end August 17th!

Web Series Contest presented by Scion
Create a pilot or trailer for an original web series you want to make
and the winner will get a $10,000 budget to create the series.
Submission period ends September 1st.

Back To Basics Documentary Challenge
Send us a trailer or mini doc, under three minutes, on the subject
matter of your choosing. First place is $7500 and second place receives
$2500 toward the completion of the documentary or your next production.
Submission period concludes August 3rd.

Go to ifc.com/medialab for the challenges mentioned above and check
back often for updates.

http://www.ifc.com/medialab

-Media Lab team

THE STAKES ARE SSSSSOOOO HIGH!!!

But You Still Gotta Go On: Wendy Morgan Direct

This Too: You just Feel Like this Sometimes

Transforming: Its not pretty

aGES cOME tO A hEAD:things hAPPENED then AND they are Happening Now

In the 80s and 90s Filmmakers, Color Filmmakers began making films.
With the popularity of black films like Lee's first feature length film " She's Gotta Have It",
Julie Dash's "Daughter's of the Dust", and so forth it was an exciting time. Then it happened. Hooolllyyywwwoooddd

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n1_v47/ai_11415826/pg_2
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE5DC1430F932A2575BC0A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=3

Today there are sssoooo many opportunities. So many. As an individual in general there are. At times I feel like the industry is over-saturated with material. To some degree it is. But in other ways it is not. So I will continue. I'll put the pen to the pad.

Sparkle Boy! Spaaaarkle!

Click to play

Haha. Yeah. Just a little something I framed at my cousin's wedding. I thought it would've been good to put on the pcfp site but its too dark. What u thanK? Can you dig it!?

Click to play

So, this was something I made today. I've been having this obsession with these street lights right outside of my school. Its the perfect place for something to happen. Anything. I always notice at night all these trucks go by. It feels like Something kinkified type shit could happen. A housewife could run out of her house into the night never to be seen again, a man from the mental institution next door could run for his life, or a some kid could just wond down the street. It could happen. Who's to say it hasn't already? you got the hitchiker feel too. I was trying to go off of this theme that anything could happen in the night. Its one of the worst and best times you know? Your imagination is free to run wild in the best or worst kind of way.
Once I finished editing, and a bit while I was filmming, I had this feeling that I sometimes shoot alot of machines or mechanical things. It felt cold or a little bland which I want to steer away from. I hope it didnt come out that way. Maybe this isn't true but thats what I felt a little but not so much while I was editing. So, I thought of machines in the night. Like...look at all this rickety looking shit! It almost has a feel of what life could be like when technology or machinery has become rustic or disregarded.

"Williamson Night Machines" Short Short Shorts 2x a week: Trying out. Testing. Experimenting

Goofin in edit Room217

Click To Play

In case you were wondering...this is what I do at school.
In the lab
-K.A

Ideas For the Sake of them?

Hey guys,

So, I've been contemplating ideas and the idea of organizations and how really they are environments for constant ideas. Ok, I dont' feel like writing anymore so I'll be back on this subject.

What!

Ok. I'm not gonna say too much, but it reminds me of Memphis so much.
This is the South. nO DOUBT!

GUESS WHAT! GUESS WHAT!GUESS WHAT!

Nothing,
Im sitting here at the computer kind of wasting time as I usually do getting excited about things that could happen while listening to some hopeful exctiting cluby music.
I have to pee and I don't get call signals down here, so I know I've missed a friend's call cause she said she was gonna come back to campus real soon so we could study.
But I still don't get up and out of this dark room away from these big mac computer screens cause I could get an email though I've checked it twice in the last half hour/ or I think about making a movie, one thats real big. or think about the people im gonna meet in the future.

...but my bladder is starting to get ridiculous so i guess i better quit this and get back to the real world. so thats where MY REALITY lies, TWEEN a fantasy internet land and getting some sh:)t done with my friend. hhmmmm


Holla back if you know what I'm talking about.

Kalimah PCFP continues

On Africa. Some say...

Africa has never loomed as large in the popular imagination of the West as it does today, thanks to the Jeffrey Sachs-Bono ambition to Make Poverty History, and of course to Angelina Jolie and Madonna's commitment to adopting African babies.

Their message of hope is one that seems to deny Africans a role as agents of their own transformation. We can save Darfur. We can save Africans from disease. We can even save Africans from themselves. Africa can be saved if we just try hard enough.

Of the 47 countries that make up sub-Saharan Africa, only five-Sudan, Chad, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia-are home to active conflicts. Last year, Africa saw its highest growth in GDP in two decades. Sixteen African countries have favorable sovereign credit ratings. Botswana's is higher than Japan, yet it still struggles to attract investment.

For the thousands of foreign-educated lawyers, businessmen, and architects from the Diaspora who are leaving cushy corporate jobs to return home with their skills and their dynamism to open businesses, it's about creating wealth, not reducing poverty. Africa is not a victim in need of saving: it's a land of opportunity.

Great Article

http://american.com/archive/2007/july-0707/africans-to-bono-for-gods-sake-please-stop
http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_GIF_confreports/africa_future.pdf

RADIO! NPR BABY!

First Dumas Arts Festival in place - 2.14.08
The first Dumas Arts Festival takes place in Roanoke Feb. 22-24. Hollins University student filmmaker Kalimah Abioto was on Studio Virginia to talk about her entry, If the People Could Fly. lISTEN! http://www.wvtf.org/news_and_notes/audio/gm_dumas_arts_fest.mp3

Finalists Please... Sex Ed 101

To all of my faithful readers,

I know I've been away and you've missed me tons. Though We haven't had much time to catch up
I should have mentioned that I a video I did over Christmas break was chosen as a finalist for Dogooder Film/Video Competition. The finalist filmmakers were flown to San Francisco, California January 21-23 to have their film screened at The Sex/Tech Conference. Though I didn't win, I gained something much more valuable... confidence. That's right folks, CONFIDENCE.
Confidence in making a good film people could relate to. Cause when you think about it, making
a film that people can relate, cry, and laugh to takes practice. I'm happy to say that I continue on
this road of understanding humans better everyday, though it tends to hurt sometimes. Which means that I am becoming a happier person day by day.This isn't the only thing I want to say.No. Lastly, I just wanted to say, it feels good to know that people can see that you've worked hard on something. That is, honestly, the best part.
Though I wasn't able to go to San Francisco I want to say thanks to the folks at Dogooder for making the reward so sweet and
cheering my video on. San Fran, I'm coming for you soon baby!


The guys over at Dogooder TV did a write up on my video so please check out their chill blog AND MY VID if you have the time. Keep Hustlin'

ISIS-Inc.: Technically, it's about Sex: Eighteen Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty

Just A Fifty Scents

This is just a lil something I made up. Actually a work in progress. I'm planning on making a psychedelic experimental type video collection of all the airports we've traversed. I like that word traverse. I hope I'm using it in the right context. ; )

Artist Spotlight

Raaf Rivero




Don't Believe the Hype

Radio!

If you're in Virginia tune into:

Studio Virginia 89.1FM (Thurs 7:30-8 pm) - Regional arts and culture news magazine, hosted by Gene Marrano & Cara Modisett
I will be on the radio talking about the PCFP and our screening downtown at the Dumas Arts Festival in Roanoke, VA on February 22 at 7:30 PM.

Worldwind! From New Orleans to Africa

Hey world. Its been a minute. Took a couple of trips. I've been to Africa, New York, New Orleans, Paris, Amsterdam, back home to Memphis again and finally in VA.

New SightForSound

The Arctic Monkeys



Cody Chesnutt

My Work:Older Posts

Thanks For Watching

The People Could Fly Project

The PCFP Sample Reel



PCFP: This is From Jena La.


For More Info: www.ThePeopleCouldFly.Blogspot.com