Songs From The Hole with Q&A from filmmakers – Berkeley, CA

Wednesday, Oct. 10th at La Pe´ña Cultural Center
3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, Ca starting at 7:30pm

At 15, he took a life. Three days later, his brother’s life was taken. A documentary visual album, “Songs from the Hole” follows James “JJ’88” Jacobs through a musical opus of Hip-Hop and Soul, inspired by his innermost struggles as both a person who has committed and experienced violent harm, as he serves a double-life prison sentence. The film interweaves the collective storytelling of its non-fiction participants with imagined representations of memories, dreams and spiritual dialogues set to its protagonist/co-creator’s original music.

Director:

Contessa Gayles

Executive Producer:

Jenny Raskin, Lauren Haber, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Regina K. Scully, Meadow Fund, Dream Hampton

Producer:

Contessa Gayles, richie reseda, David Felix Sutcliffe

Screenwriter:

James “JJ’88” Jacobs, Contessa Gayles

Cinematographer:

Michelle Kwong, Contessa Gayles

Editor:

Contessa Gayles, Rafe Scobey-Thal, Princess A. Hairston

Production Designer:

richie reseda, Contessa Gayles

Sound Designer:

For analog-ny audio; Supervising Sound Editor/Re-recording Mixer: Keith Hodne, Co-Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer: Eric Di Stefano, Sound FX Editor: Eli Akselrod

Music:

Music Written and Performed by James “JJ’88” Jacobs; Music Produced by richie reseda, Tairiq Bright and Garfield Bright III for TwiinTowers Productions, Dylan Wiggins, James “JJ’88” Jacobs; Original Score by richie reseda, Tairiq Bright, Garfield Bright III, James “JJ’88” Jacobs

Principal Cast:

James “JJ’88” Jacobs, Myles Lassiter, Devonte Hoy, Jovon Times, Africa Turner, Ernest Walker , Ryleigh Legget , Kellie Evans

Additional Credits:

Co-producer: James “JJ’88” Jacobs, Co-Executive Producers: Kelsey Koenig, Robina Riccitiello, Lauren & John Driscoll, Jennifer Pelling

Welcome to The 15th Annual Fist Up Film Festival!
We believe watching a good film can change your life…
We believe some films are made to be discussed…

The Fist Up Film Festival presents films that are intended to create impact, inspire discussion and foster understanding. By placing emphasis on the connected experiences between global and local communities, The Fist Up Film Festival creates visual parallels between people’s lived experiences and stories from around the world.

Join us October 4-14th in the Bay Area, California. We believe that Social Justice films don’t have to make the audience feel horrible about the state of the world. We focus on uplifting stories that show our power!

For 15 years our festival has been free for filmmakers to apply and free / dontaion for our community to attend. When you make a donation on this website you are not garanteed a seat. It is first come first serve. So show up early!