User talk:Kevin epps

Kevin Epps, activist and award-winning Film Director, "Straight Outta Hunters Point"(2003) his debut film pioneered a genre, garnered local, national acclaim, won many awards and established Epps as fresh voice in independent film, digital and new media. Epps is also a passionate community activist who speaks out about social, economic and environmental issues confronting under-served communities of color. Kevin Epps is a founding member of The Hip Hop Film Festival, a touring film festival that showcase hip hop and independent films. The Hip Hop Film Festival, founded in 2002 with fellow filmmakers during Sundance Film Festival. The Hip Hop Film Festival based in San Francisco and Los Angeles have toured to over 70 cities and 5 countries.

Today Kevin Epps continues to write, direct and produce films, and new media projects via Mastamind Productions LLC. He releases, "Rap Dreams" (2006), a film that follows the bigtime dreams of upcoming rappers, is a favorite and continues to be a lot of rappers favorite. "The Black Rock" (2009) aka Black Alcatraz, the untold story of black gangsters at Alcatraz Prison. Kevin Epps have also produced award-winning work for Current TV, a network founded by Vice President Al Gore, producing stories on subjects ranging from gun violence to single fatherhood. "

Best Indie Filmmaker (2007) Kevin Epps http://www.mastamind.com There are no special effects in what the doc-filmmaker best known for Straight Outta Hunters Point does, yet his talent for digging deep and representing the under-represented is worth more to the community dialogue than any Computer Generated Imagery animation. As is Epps' presence at various local forums — he's a reliable fixture at events from the streets of Bayview-Hunters Point to the hoitier climes of the Commonwealth Club. His dedication to social justice ranges wide. This is reflected in works like The Black Rock (about the treatment of black prisoners in Alcatraz). It's also in recent short films Don't Kill Tookie, an impassioned plea shown on Current TV just hours before former Crip gang founder-turned Nobel Peace Prize nominee Stanley Williams' execution at San Quentin, and YouTube-circulated United States vs. Josh Wolf, on the last hours before Wolf surrendered to federal prison for refusing to turn over footage shot at 2005's San Francisco G8 protest. Epps isn't the filmmaker to watch for sheer filmic technique, but because of the depth of his heart.

SF Bay Guardian "Goldie Award" Pan African Film Festival "Best Documentary" New American Media Award Malcolm X, Media Communications Award San Francisco Indie Film Community, Best Filmmaker SFIFF, Media Arts Award Geraldine Johnson Award SF Weekly Best Indie Filmmaker 2007 Youth Media Award 2007 Emmy Award 2007 Current TV Telly Award 2008