Chicago wordsmith Malik Yusef has teamed up with director Frey Hoffman to create a short film adaptation of one of his poems with the help of a $100,000 grant from the IFP/Chicago Production Fund.
Hoffman, director of photography on Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” was recently named the 2007 recipient of the prestigious grant award to direct an adaptation of Yusef’s “Hollywood Jerome.”
"The Production Fund has given us access to a huge amount of film production equipment, as well as instant publicity and instant credibility, which will allow us to make the film that much better," Hoffman said.
He and Yusef collaborated on the script, the tale of a 14-year-old South Side gang member who idolizes classic Hollywood gangsters, caught in a police standoff on the North Side. The director and the poet are also at work on a feature script of “Hollywood Jerome.”
Hoffman, director of photography on Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” was recently named the 2007 recipient of the prestigious grant award to direct an adaptation of Yusef’s “Hollywood Jerome.”
"The Production Fund has given us access to a huge amount of film production equipment, as well as instant publicity and instant credibility, which will allow us to make the film that much better," Hoffman said.
He and Yusef collaborated on the script, the tale of a 14-year-old South Side gang member who idolizes classic Hollywood gangsters, caught in a police standoff on the North Side. The director and the poet are also at work on a feature script of “Hollywood Jerome.”
The two plan to develop an educational outreach component for the film, since it focuses specifically on the problem of integrating dreams into the surroundings that confront many urban and rural youth.
“Instead of just creating the film and letting it drop, we want to use the film to create discussion with kids who might confront situations, like teen pregnancy and youth violence. Instead of coming in with a didactic point of view, we want to make it relevant to them by coming in from a point of view of cultural expression,” Hoffman said.
Columbia College graduate Hoffman shot Yusef’s music video “Wouldn’t You Like to Ride,” featuring West and Common, directed by Coodie and Chike of Channel Zero for the “Coach Carter” soundtrack. He approached Yusef about adapting “Hollywood Jerome” after seeing Yusef’s performance of the poem on the “Channel Zero” series on public access station CAN TV.
“Instead of just creating the film and letting it drop, we want to use the film to create discussion with kids who might confront situations, like teen pregnancy and youth violence. Instead of coming in with a didactic point of view, we want to make it relevant to them by coming in from a point of view of cultural expression,” Hoffman said.
Columbia College graduate Hoffman shot Yusef’s music video “Wouldn’t You Like to Ride,” featuring West and Common, directed by Coodie and Chike of Channel Zero for the “Coach Carter” soundtrack. He approached Yusef about adapting “Hollywood Jerome” after seeing Yusef’s performance of the poem on the “Channel Zero” series on public access station CAN TV.
Chicago-native Yusef is a veteran of HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” and has appeared on numerous hip-hop records including West’s “Late Registration.” Yusef toured with West on his “Touch the Sky” tour.
The short film will be the first Chicago Production Fund winner to address urban themes. Hoffman’s award is also a departure in both content and style from past winners of the award, worth $100,000 of in-kind goods and services for production of the short.
The short film will be the first Chicago Production Fund winner to address urban themes. Hoffman’s award is also a departure in both content and style from past winners of the award, worth $100,000 of in-kind goods and services for production of the short.
