James Spooner

Director: "Afro-Punk"
When: 7 pm Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Where: HCC Ybor Performing Arts Theater

From the Director:

"I came into this film with no formal training. Shoot, I came into this with no informal training. But I was born to make this film. Spending half my life as a punk rocker and all of my life as a black man who else to this story."

"I maxed out my credit card and bought a computer and as I worked to pay it off I did the research. Finding black punks around the country was not as hard as I thought it would be. I started with the folks I knew of from the New York scene. Carley from Candira and Chaka of Burn/Orange 9mm. being among the first. I also just walked around the lower east side with my eyes open."

"After a few months of beans and rice I paid off my computer and maxed out my card again and bought my video camera (sony vx2000). I was ready to start inteviews. Word started to spread quickly and folks from all over were emailing me about there friend from so and so that wanted to be interviewed. I quickly started to find out who I would be focusing on."

"I planned a month long cross country tour, going from state to state just like the old days doing punk travels. Of course the big difference was I was to collect interviews and footage. A few bands did a benefit show for the project and I was on my way. The tour had summed up to, 34 interviews, 8 shows, most of the lifestyle footage for Matt Davis in Iowa and I met Mariko who for me summarized a lot of my experience in the punk scene as a black person. Total dedication to the scene often equaling total disregard racial identity."

"I started doing "Day in the Life" stuff back in New York with Tamar Kali and Moe Mitchell."

"Fast forward a year and here we are, 80+ interviews, who knows how many shows, more hours figuring out final cut pro as I edited then I care to remember and two trips cross country, it's done. Proof that if you want to do something you can just do it."