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We Hella Love I HELLA Love Shorts by Maria Pecot
I HELLA Love panel (lf-rt): Anju Hyppolite, Honorable Walker-Koyejo, Kehinde Koyejo, Benjamin MulHolland, Juan Davis and organizer Bolaji Tijani-Qudus. photo: M. Pecot
ONE SUNNY AFTERNOON IN UPTOWN Oakland, a crowd piles into the New Parkway Theater. Nestled between artist studios, industrial-looking apartment buildings and auto shops, it is hardly the place you’d expect to find a movie theater. But then again, the Parkway is not your typical movie theater and its new location, just outside the epicenter of the Oakland’s burgeoning art district, seems appropriate.
Inside the theatre, Bolaji Tijani-Qudus, mingles with guests as they arrive. Today is the launch of his event, I HELLA Love Shorts, a quarterly showcase where emerging filmmakers unveil their work.
Although of modest stature, like many artists, Qudus' presence and style make him easy to spot, even among a large crowd. Today he is dressed in jeans, a button up and he wears his hair in a signature twisted afro. He has the kind of charm people flock to and his ability to draw in folks of various backgrounds has helped him achieve success in almost every venture he pursues.
For a decade Qudus, who is originally from Nigeria, was a prominent nightlife promoter in San Francisco, drawing crowds of multi-ethnic party goers by the thousands. In 2006, he got together with a few nightlife industry veterans and opened the Air Lounge, a swanky watering hole in Old Oakland that remains at the forefront of Oakland’s now prominent nightlife scene.
I HELLA Love audience filled the Oakland Parkway's theater. photo: M. Pecot
In 2008, he discovered his passion for storytelling and made the leap into writing. Within a year he had completed his first novel, "WTF Moment", a midlife coming-of-age story that focuses on relationship issues from a male perspective. An entrepreneur by trade, he chose to self-publish.
"WTF Moment" was instantly popular, selling over a thousand copies within months and garnering book signing in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Its success is a rarity in the self-publishing world, where authors must generate their own marketing. Qudus overcame this challenge utilizing his keen business skills to build buzz and brand.
Following the launch of his book, Qudus took the next obvious step: directing films through which he continues to develop his fictional world, often borrowing stories and characters from his novel.
His short "Interlude", which was featured at the I HELLA Love Shorts premiere, is such an excerpt, capturing a single father as he faces a difficult moment in co-parenting. In just fifteen short minutes, the near tragic film draws laughter as well as tears.
Like the storyline, Interlude’s cinematography is compelling, incorporating a creative mix of color, black and white and close ups. Juan Davis, Qudus’s friend and colleague did a beautiful job editing it and Davis’ own film, "Lou’s Prey" was also on the schedule.
Davis is an East Coast transplant who ventured to San Francisco to pursue a graduate level degree in directing at the Academy of Art, where he met Qudus. Since then they have been a constant support for each other (Qudus was a PA on "Lou’s Prey").
The poster for 'Interlude', one of the shorts by Bolaji Tijani-Qudus. illo: courtesy B. Tijani-Qudus
Prior to directing, Davis was a freelance video editor for mostly commercial clients. Right now Davis is focusing on horror, “a niche we African Americans are largely unrepresented in,” says Davis.
"Lou’s Prey", Davis’s first horror film, follows a low-life addict’s attempt to escape the wrath of a notorious gangster, whom he has robbed. The plot twists when an unexpected accident forces both the executioner and his prey to come face to face with the ultimate evil.
The short film features a strong story line, rich visuals and Tarantino-style gore. Davis credits Tarrantino as both a director whom he admires and an influence for his art. Davis’s background as a video editor is apparent through the sheer quality of the piece.
Davis came up with the concept for the film as an undergraduate in media at East Carolina University. Part of a full-length screenplay Davis wrote and eventually hopes to develop, "Lou’s Prey" was an official selection of the Hollywood Black Film Festival.
I HELLA Love Shorts featured a total of six films. Other selections included "Alone in My Bed", a seven-minute short about a woman struggling to break the grips of a casual love affair. Directed by Anayo Amuzie, it is void of dialogue: all that can be heard is the melancholy hum of an Amy Winehouse tune. A unique film, it captivates and captures perfectly the downside of modern hook-up culture.
Also screening was “Daisy Cutter,” a psychological thriller by director Ben Mullholand. This short film peeks into the psyche of a man whose reality is altered by delusions of war. Other selections included “Blackout,” a romantic comedy by Allee Chance where a disastrous anniversary dinner ends in an enlightening experience; and “Kindred Spirits,” a film by Jon-Claude Harris, where a pair of soul mates seek out their family heritage and discover that they have a lot more in common than they could have ever imagined.
The unveiling of I HELLA Love Shorts was notably successful and the audience remained engaged as they munched on house-made pizza, caramel popcorn clusters and Niman Ranch burgers, paired with pitchers of Sangria and beer to wash everything down. Like the fare and the crowd, the films embodied a diversity of tastes and style, reaching across genres.
There was literally something for everyone. Following the screenings moviegoers got to pick the brains of directors and actors in an intimate Q and A session. I HELLA Love Shorts embodied grassroots filmmaking at its finest.
Oakland film buffs can look forward to a new round of talent at I HELLA Love Shorts at the same location in October, and every season thereafter.