Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary is a perfect time to highlight jazz and its contributions to the world. The 8th annual Hip Hop Film Festival hosted screenings at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture from August 11 to 20. Novelist and director Tyrel Hunt’s film, “The Sound of Southside,” was one of the main featured presentations. The one-hour and eighteen-minute movie won Best Feature Film at the festival.
Hunt, 30, was thrilled to have his first visit to Schomburg Center during the preview screening of his film. The movie, produced independently by Gritty Vibes Studios, aimed to highlight jazz’s rich history throughout Queens. It’s a story of a young jazz musician named Maliki continuing his father’s legacy by reopening his famous jazz club. “I wanted to do something different because there’s a lot of hip-hop movies out there, but I wanted to go to the origins of it,” said Hunt.
Jazz is known to be the grandfather of hip-hop and has been used for samples countless times. In one eye-catching scene, Maliki writes, “Jazz ain’t dead” on a marker board. “This film is my attempt to blend [the community and jazz] together,” said Hunt. “Having that jazz and Queens connection is something I wanted to create.”
Brenika Banks photos
Hunt was ecstatic winning at the festival, especially growing up in Rosedale, Queens, where he unconventionally learned how to become a director. Prior to filmmaking, he had a background in writing. Working at Jamaica Center for Arts and learning with jazz musicians inspired him to create his novel-turned-film.
Hunt deliberately approached his film unexpectedly from a hip-hop route. “Once I saw that there was a Hip Hop Film Festival, I was hoping with ‘The Sound of Southside’ being jazz-centered, that the connection would be made,” said Hunt. Despite the challenges of steadily pivoting with uncontrollable scenarios and rewriting the script, “The Sound of Southside” was well received and earned a nomination for “Best Sound Editing” from the Festival of Cinema NYC.
CR Capers, founder of Harlem Film House and leader of the Hip Hop Film Festival, praised Hunt for capturing the simplicity of love. The main two characters, Maliki and Afeni, never showed any physical touch beyond a short dance scene. Capers commended Hunt for how eloquently the love grew and wasn’t sexualized. “I am almost speechless at this film,” she said during the post-film conversation. “I loved this love story in its purest essence.”
Capers commended Hunt for casting his wife Amanda Morris Hunt, who is a dark-skinned Jamaican woman with natural, thick, curly hair, as his lead lady. Representation of darker women on screen is “super important,” according to Capers.
Brenika Banks photos
Amanda Morris Hunt said she is proud of her husband, especially because she witnessed this project go from an idea to a full-length feature. “If I could retire and be his fangirl forever I would,” she said. “I love supporting him.” Although she did play the leading lady in his first movie, she was still thrilled to, once again, lead in this award-winning film: “I love putting Black love out there.” She praises her husband for his brilliance in writing a novel and then an accompanying film. “His drive is out of this world – he inspires me.”
According to Hunt, it cost $50,000 to make the film and this project employed an estimated 20 people; most of the money went to the actors and crew. The Schomburg audience was very enthusiastic and interactive about the film. Hunt described the crowd’s reaction as “surreal.” “It’s a little nerve-wracking at times, hoping that the jokes connect, and that people are receiving everything you are writing,” he said. He expressed feeling “amazing” as people gave him their feedback in person. Hunt is grateful for the opportunity to watch his work on the big screen.
Hunt ideally wants a distribution plan with a company like HBO that will help him reach a large audience while maintaining ownership. His next few scripts will spotlight Queens. “I want to continue to bring light to Queens because it’s a borough you don’t see represented a lot in media,” said Hunt. He credits Spike Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues” as a huge inspiration while directing this movie.
Hunt intends on leaving behind a body of work that is thought-provoking and entertaining to watch. “It doesn’t have to reach a million people, but the people it does reach, I want it to have an impact on.” “The Sound of Southside” perfectly reintroduces jazz to the world by creating a love story fueled by passion and art. Hunt encourages people to support more Black independent films and keep jazz music alive. For more information, visit https://hiphopfilmfestival.org/ and www.thesoundofsouthside.com.