Among B-Boys is smashin’ your average B-boy vids! But here’s a few that might be able to compete…
It’s been a long time… I shouldn’t have left you, without some dope films to step to!
Since it’s SFIAAFF time, here’s 3 B-Boy related films I want to see… some of which are no longer available…
that’s what I get for slackin’.. I mean, workin’ hard!
1.) Planet B-Boy – An absolutely amazing documentary that covers the international B-Boy/G-Girl scene (other wise called breaking/”breakdancing” to those who aren’t stuck in the 1980’s lingo). Filmmaker Benson Lee does a very thorough job of creating a portrait of what breaking has become to the world by following the Battle of the Year competition, which has qualifying competitions around the world, and comes together for the finals in Germany.
3/15 – SOLD OUT @ Sundance Kabuki 3
On the bright side, there’s going to be screenings on 3/28 at the Landmark theaters in Berkeley and San Francisco (google or check their website for more details.
2.) Glory Boy Days by Bay Area filmmaker Paul Justin Encinas gives love to a generation of retired B-boys, like many I know. They’re still young but in those late 20’s to early 30’s it’s hard to keep doing the art you love. B-Boy is a sport for the young, and it takes special dedication, and special dancers to be able to take breaking into their twilight years! Check the link for a better description than I’d be able to give you.
3/16 – 3 pm @ Landmark Clay Theatre
3/20 – 7:30pm @ Sundance Kabuki 3
3.) Always Be Boyz – A narrative film from Korea, by John Kwon, which features the “B-Boy lifestyle” in Korea. Not sure what to expect, but a B-Boy themed film? I gotta check it out!
3/16 – 8 pm @ Landmark Clay Theatre
3/22 – 9:15pm @ Camera Cinemas 12
In the spirit of Hip Hop filmmaking, here’s a list of some films you can use as primers to help expand your Hip Hop film palette: Style Wars, The Freshest Kids, Scratch and No Sleep ‘Til Shanghai (which showed at the 2006 SFIAAFF). I also like the narratives Quality of Life and the classic Wild Style, and even Beat Street (as corny as it might be).
In Other News
Among B-BOys is coming along nicely. I just started some contract work, so I’m going to have to start setting extra time out for it, other projects have been popping up too, and the deadline for the media fund is coming up real quick! I also added to the team artist Nate1 to do the letters and titles for the film. Nate is a local SF artist, designer, graffiti writer, and the owner of New Skool clothing, for infants and up. Check it out, it’s fresh!
So the video camera in the picture has a quick story – two of the featured B-Boys in Among B-Boys, Mpact and Villn, had gone on a trip and taken this camera with them. They recorded two tapes’ worth of material, but when the got home, they discovered their camcorder wouldn’t work. It had shorted out or something, and it wouldn’t power up no matter if you charged the battery or plugged in the power source… but there was still a tape stuck in it!
The best material of the two tapes they shot
So without knowing how the layout of the camera is, I just started unscrewing things, and once I couldn’t get any further, I took the pliers from my leatherman tool and just started twisting and pulling. After about an hour of careful camera surgery, I had the tape! But the camera could not be salvaged. the end.
really, that was it. i guess not the best story but it was a fun process. I guess the lesson of this story is:
why are you still reading? go buy your festival tickets!
(if you haven’t done so, check out the Among B-Boys website)
