Greetings people of Earth, hope everyone is hanging in there or on to something as you read your quarterly Pep-date.  I’ll take you from San Quentin to Kingston stop by Santa Barbara and finish up in the Yucatan, San Francisco.  Ready?
First and most exciting is this, remember when I told you I had taught an intensive 6-week filmmaking class at San Quentin State Prison?  Hope so because the experience was awesome and it ended with my nine students sharing their work to an enthusiastic audience of their peers and local community members.  Well, something I didn’t mention (because they made me sign a contract) was that Discovery Channel documented the entire process and edited it into 6 episodes.

The program is called San Quentin Film School.  That’s not all!  The man directing this doc-series was none other than the Award-winning documentary film director Bruce Sinofsky and the man behind the lens was maverick DP Bob Richman.  But wait there’s more!  Episode #1 was awesome! Episode #2 is this Fri. @ 6 and/or 9am (check your local listings) and every Friday for the next five weeks Discovery Channel will run a new episode of San Quentin Film School.  (Hopefully they’ll repeat some too!)

In the meantime, get your Tivo’s ready, clear up some space on your DVR or buy a new VHS tape cause it’s an early airing and a lot of folks work.  One more time, this Friday @ 6 and/or 9am (check your local listings) and every Friday for the next five weeks.  Trust me, San Quentin Film School will be more exciting than any basketball tournament and you won’t need to throw your  money into any pool. ACT NOW, THIS OFFER IS FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! DON’T MISS OUT!!

All right, alright, enough of the infomercial stylee. Let’s go to the Caribbean.  Cool!

Last year at this time I was in Jamaica relaxing.  I backpacked throughout most of the island.  I celebrated Bob Marley’s birthday in his Nine Mile hometown and saw all of his kids get down till the break of dawn, literally.  I swam where they filmed Blue Lagoon, didn’t see Brook Shields but saw a dude that looked like Andre Agassi playing badminton.  I chilled at James Bond Beach, which got its name from a movie they filmed about that British vato with a license to kill.  I drank a Guinness beer so light it had to have been less than 1,000 calories.  Seriously, it’s called Foreign Extra, it’s delicious and only sold in the Caribbean.  (Bring me back one if you’re going.)

I then found myself at the University of the West Indies attending the week long Global Reggae Conference.  People from all over the world talked, shared, analyzed and danced to this music we love.  Happening also at the same time was the Reggae Film Festival.  How could I not go?  I saw some great films and met even greater people.  One of them was an elder man by the name of RC Tomlinson who approached me carrying his two hit 45 singles from the 70’s.

He told me his desire of a having a number one hit.  We exchanged info and within a week my doc buddy from NY, Eddie Martinez, flew down with a camera and mic gear and it was on.  We followed this vintage reggae singer through the streets of Kingston as he shared with us the story of his life.  RC’s story is vital to reggae history because he is just one of the multitude of Jamaican artists that had more talent than opportunities to continue singing.  If you have to tell a story why not make it about something you love in a place you’ve always dreamed of visiting?  It was post awesome!

In this scene you’ll see RC make a song from scratch with the help of Kenrick Beckett of Studio Mix in Waterhouse, near Kingston.  Trust me, this clip will have you loving “me old people” all day and hopefully through the weekend.  Click on the poster to the right.  My friends Jesus & Melanie hooked this up for me.  I owe them big time!

Radio Bandido update.  I’ve made some progress but not enough.  My research has taken me to Baldwin Park where I spent quiet moments with Oscar’s family and then to the campus of UCSB.  Big thanks to George Lipsitz for allowing me to share a little bit about Radio Bandido and my work.  I’ve made good contacts both on and off campus.  I have put some of this research together and into a trailer that gives a better idea of Bandido’s story and most importantly we get to hear his voice come back to life.  I also recently acquired footage from when Oscar was first found that dreadful day.  Click on the photo of the family to the right and see part of it.  I continue seeking both a producer and funding for this project.  I’d also like to thank Judith Segura Mora and familia for their contribution and support.  A nice cheer, a meaningful comment or thoughtful question are just as valuable and certainly welcomed.

That’s it for now folks but stay tuned as I’m onto something big in San Francisco that involves Mayans from the Yucatan, dirty dishes and dirty wrestlers.

peaceFool,
-pepe