Film Profile: Name of your Documentary? P-Star Rising

Why did you choose this title? Because the story is about the rise of a dream: to become a star, and the impact of that dream once realized

What made you do a documentary on a young rising hip-hop star? I was immediately drawn to the weight that this little girl was holding on her shoulders- her own father's defered dreams and the financial salvation of her family. And I knew she could do it- she was a phenomena- I just had a feeling that the journey would be complicated.

How long did it take to complete the documentary? We shot the film for 4.5 years and edited for 7 months. In total we captured 270 hours of footage and cut an 86 min film. Crazy right? But it shows on the screen. What made this story so compelling to dedicate years to telling it? When I saw Prisicilla at age 9 sneak into a Manhattan night club and rap on stage for an audience twice her size and 3 times her age- and blow them away, i knew this was the beginning of something compelling. In order for the film to be completed I needed transformation- whether it be for the father to learn something about himself and make a change or Priscilla to make a change. This is essential to storytelling. That is why I stuck with the project and I think it pays off in the end.

Was the subject matter something you were knowledgeable about prior to the documentary ? No, I began shooting a week after I met Priscilla.

Where can your Documentary be seen? We have premiered at Tribeca Film Festival just this month, and now are going to play festivals around the world. We list upcoming festival on www.pstarrising.com <http://www.pstarrising.com> . There you can see the trailer as well.

Do You think the current state of the global economy will have an adverse impact on filmmaking & funding for films? Yes and no.  There is no question that it makes it much harder to get funding for your project as there is only so much funding available and the industry is saturated with people who want to (and believe they deserve to) make a film. At the same time, it forces us filmmakers to get more clever with our resources and ability to wear many hats (ie. shoot, edit, direct) and chose our projects carefully. Quality rises to the top....or at least it should!

Do you think the lack of major budgets for films will push the documentary film based approach more to the forefront? Are you refering to the "by any means necessary" documentary film approach? There are very little rules to doc filmmaking- as you are capturing real people in very real scenarios and circumstances. Once you start manipulating things it costs money. What I do see more and more is people taking risks for eachother- working on eachothers projects for little to no money so they can continue to work and create.  I also see people wearing many hats (ie. produce, direct, shoot, edit) because lack of funding and drive to get their project off the ground. What do you see in the future of global film making with the continuous successes & cross overs of International films to the US market? It shows the world is shrinking and we are beginning to see the relevance to eachother in one global community. Global filmmaking is the logical next step to a generation that can connect to a one-another despite language or distance in a matter of seconds.

How does your life experiences effect or influence your approach to film making & the stories you want to tell? I grew up in the theater and have been very priveledged to have access to the arts all my life. When I realized that this was not true for others I began to reach out and provide that experience to young people. Once I heard their stories I decided that they had to be documented, whether through theater, film, music or dance.

What are some of the projects you have worked on? I founded and was Artistic Director of a youth arts program that created original theater productions with youth from Los Angeles, South Africa, and Cuba. I co-directed a documentary, Autumn's Eyes, about the effect of a teenage-mother's incarceration on her 3-year old daughter left behind, and teach film around the country for the Pearson Foundation.

Your top 3 greatest film influences? Hoop Dreams, Central Station, Traffic.

If you had limitless budget –what film would you make & why? I can't answer that publicly- ideas get stolen fast!