SACRAMENTO – Whether they highlight historical figures or feature fictional characters, Black films, and the filmmakers who bring them to life, have long told stories that others couldn’t, or wouldn’t.
The Black film genre gets a Sacramento audience this month as several films will be shown at local venues as a precursor to the CineSoul Festival in November. Cheryl Fabio’s film “Evolutionary Blues: West Oakland’s Music Legacy” will show at the Crocker Art Museum at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 22. Some of the films have Sacramento connections, namely “Voices for Freedom, The Hyers Sisters’ Legacy,” directed by Susheel Bibbs and “The Musician” by Tommy Ross, which will show at the Delta King in Old Sacramento beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25. Ross also has two other films, “Erudition” and “An Evening With Marty,” which he was an executive producer on, showing in different parts of the Sacramento International Film Festival, which CineSoul is a part of.
The Sacramento OBSERVER sat down with Ross to learn more about his films and what motivated him to bring them to the big screen.
Q. How important is it for Black short filmmakers to have a venue to show their works?
A. Film shorts provide valuable experience for filmmakers to develop their skills in multiple areas of filmmaking. Because they are usually made with small budgets and crew, it forces the filmmaker to understand the many aspects of making a film. Location scouting, casting, lighting, sound, camera, even post-production. When you don’t have the budget or the time of a larger film, you have to engage in and learn all the areas of completing a project if you want it to reflect your vision . It is important to have a venue to display your films, especially in film festivals, because these venues can give you wider exposure and the potential opportunity to move on to bigger and better things as more people see what you can do. I also have a third film at the festival that I am executive producer on another film short titled, “An Evening With Marty.”
Q. How long have you been a filmmaker and how did that come about?
A. One of the partners on my first project in 1993 was a good friend who allowed me to spend time with him during the previous two years on the set of some of the projects he worked on and he was a master of the artistic side of the process. I was a fan of movies, comics and a fast learner so I was convinced I could do it. We failed miserably because we did not have a good feel for the business side of filmmaking. In fact, the film was never produced and we lost our investment. We thought we could just take our good intentions, political skills, and get it done. It was a lesson I never forgot. I took that lesson and since then produced two feature films and four film shorts in the past 12 years.
Q. What kinds of stories do you tell through your films?
A. My stories have ranged from raunchy teenage coming of age humor to gospel musicals. I did a screenplay a few years ago which is a thriller about a confrontation between the forces of good and evil with the fate of mankind at stake and currently writing a screenplay featuring a Latino cast.
Q. Are you “retired?” If so, did filmmaking start before or after that? Did your “day” job help fund your films?
A. I retired from a job as a corporate executive a few years ago but didn’t retire from being active. I do various projects, dabble in political campaigns, am working with a few folks to launch a Black Television News Channel, and make a few movies when I can. My ‘day job’ financed my projects and definitely made it easier to do things my way. Also the great things about film shorts is they can be done inexpensively and still look good.
Q. What is the Pinnacle Strategic Group and how is filmmaking a part of that?
A. Pinnacle Strategic Group (PSG) is my company for my various projects for doing business development around the state and the country. Pinnacle Films is an affiliate of PSG and is where I house my film projects.
Q. Who are some of your inspirations in filmmaking?
A. Its funny that my inspiration comes from all kinds of sources. I like stories of inspiration and hope. My screenplay for “Erudition” and the film short actually was inspired by a movie made in 1950 called “The Next Voice You Hear,” starring James Whitmore and Nancy Davis (who became Nancy Reagan). A friend and I spent months working on the treatment and I then spent about almost a year on the screenplay and am still working on it. “The Musician” was inspired by a 1982 movie titled “The Juggler of Notre Dame,” featuring Merlin Olsen. Those stories always stuck with me. For the Latino project, think of “The Best Man” that is centered around a city council campaign instead of a wedding.
Q. Did you watch Black films as a young man? If so, what are some of your favorites and why?
A. Absolutely. Too many to name but I loved Sidney Poitier and anything featuring Black folks fighting the system, I loved Nicholas Brothers dancing, Diahann Carroll, etc. “Shaft,” “Sweet Sweetback’s Badass Song”, you name it.
Q. How would you describe your films that are going to show at Cine Soul and what do you want people to walk away from them with?
“The Musician” is a 35-minute short story of hope and redemption and the log line is how a man must learn to forgive himself and open himself to new love in order to free himself from his prison of despair. It’s a great story and has some really cool music. “Erudition” is a 15-minute story whose theme is the ultimate battle between good and evil begins in our dreams. It’s more of a “Twilight Zone” style story with an end that leaves you hanging. The key takeaway is that both stories will make great feature films and I made them as a way of developing them into feature films. I have a completed feature film script for “Erudition” and can make both films with low budgets. So, anyone out there wanting to make a movie, Come See Me.
Q. I see the DeLuz brothers in the film, do you always tap into local talent for your films? Are you involved with casting/all aspects of the films?
I am committed to making future projects in Sacramento and using local talent and resources. I also plan to produce another short later this year while I also complete the screenplay for my Latino project. I am also involved in every aspect of my projects from casting to post production and also did cameo appearances in two of them
Q. Any desire to do full-length films?
A. ’ve already produced two feature films, “Church: The Movie,” where folks break out into song almost every five minutes, and “American Hormones,” which is a teen coming of age film. I went from a mostly White cast in “Hormones: to a Black cast in “Church.” Both are available on Amazon.com and more information including the trailers can be found on my website at www.pinnaclestrategy.net
All three of Ross’ films will be playing at the Sacramento International Film Festival held at the Delta King in Old Sacramento. In addition to “The Musician” at CineSoul, “Erudition” will show on April 23 as part of The Worlds Greatest Shorts at 7:00 p.m, and “An Evening With Marty” will show on April 28 at 1:00 p.m. as part of Norcal Allstars. Tickets can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets or by calling (800) 838-3006.
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By: Genoa Barrow
Senior Staff Writer