Jon Carlo Dominguez — I love you, I miss you. I wish you were still here.
//
My buddy’s soul sounds like Passion Pit and Beach House and I know he’s jamming up there.
My buddy was entirely willing to riff on the “cinema” of everyday life:
We’d be walking down the sidewalk, and he’d stop short.
**dramatic pause**
**removes Ray-Bans**
**stares off into the distance** Then, for no actual reason, he’d turn to me, deadpan.
“Wow…”
“How could you??”
He’d really sell it.
“You BETRAYED me.”
And then we’d burst out laughing…This is what our friendship looked like. Dramatizing nothing, and everything, and laughing about it in a never-ending loop.
Jon Carlo got me into going to concerts. We saw some great ones. And nothing’s more cinematic than being absolutely absorbed by some life-changing sonic vibes. That stuff that hits your soul. He understood all that, too, in a dramatic-pause-and-stare-off-into-the-distance type of way. It was good fun, because we both spoke that language. But it was legitimately profound, too.
My buddy was really good at singing. At events, of course, but also in the silly moments. I’m picturing him busting out some earnest notes, again on the sidewalk, eyes closed, finger outstretched, tracing the tune in the air. My buddy understood how to LEAN!!! IN!!!!!!!
And I loved that. It spoke to me. It’s why we became so close. He was a brother to me.
He was earnest. He cared. He put so much of himself into what he believed in. We need more of that passion in the world. More of that love. More of his willingness to have some fun while on the mission. I love you, Jon Carlo. I wish I could flood the universe with your spirit.
My buddy respected the GREATS!!!!!!!! People of color who took a stand and reached great heights. We had real-life giants, in all their realness — teachers, professors, mentors, and guides who showed us what that looked like up close. We celebrated them. We were inspired by them. We reveled in their greatness. We dramatized their greatness on the sidewalk. We tried to be great too. We tried to be good too.
My brother was both.
I love you, Jon Carlo, I miss you, rest in peace.
Athol Park, my latest film and part of my thesis from a pre-pandemic Time Before, is currently premiering at @nfftyfilm ! The fest is virtual this year.
The film will be available online until the weekend ends. Link in bio.
NFFTY has been a fantastic fest!! Over the years it's featured some emerging filmmakers I really admire, and I'd highly recommend checking out some work from NFFTY 2020.
I’m thankful for everyone who donated their time, money, talent, and support. It’s an immense gift and I don’t take it lightly. More art in the works.
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Directed & edited by: @klarkstyle
Written by: @a.ketina & @klarkstyle
Produced by: @loveleeproductions & @evantheconqueror
Director of Photography: Pierce Robinson
Sound: Kieran Altmann
1st AD: Cameron Steinfeld
Production Design: Almudena Caminero
Sound mix: @klarkstyle & Brian Neris
Color: @manny.aroyo
Score: Emil Ernstrom
Consulting editors: Jacob Okada & Carylanna Taylor
Assistant editor: Colin Morris
Cast:
@taragilham@evantheconqueror
Jeff Gallup
@ericfleising
Kathleen Turco-Lyon
Sherry H. Arell
@arianna.renee_
Robbie Crandall
Jayden Ratz
Gretchen Poole
Adam Kushins
PAs:
@robertgrochal_
Justin Holness
Thomas Shomo
@siagtown@glodiemulunda
Jazmine Harris
Sephora Brazier
Darsen Jean
With support from the @princessgraceus and many many others; work by James Baldwin used by arrangement with the James Baldwin Estate.
Yesterday the Virginia state legislature voted in favor of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment, making VA the 38th backer. The fate of the ERA is still uncertain because of a 1982 ratification deadline, but there’s hope yet.
I joined Ken Burns’s production company, Florentine Films, as an associate (digital) producer this past summer. I’m on a team building out UNUM- a relatively new digital platform which aims to contextualize current events using history.
Check out our new UNUM Short, featuring Ken, released yesterday as a video op-ed in the @nytimes . It relates the 1920 ratification of the 19th Amendment to the ERA’s long long journey. (You know where the link is...the bio) This was one of my first shoots as an associate producer, and I really look forward to what we’ll make going forward.
Much due credit to star star producer @diamondintheruffe for very much leading the charge on this (AND editing), and shoutout to several other folks including:
EP: Ken Burns, Don MacKinnon, Sarah Botstein
DP: @christopher_loren_ewers_dp
AC: @evan_barlow
Sound: Curt Ramm
Graphics: @btlee__
Color: Tim McAleer
Audio Mix: Chris Chae
yo! I'm excited to be a Princess Grace honorarium recipient this year, which means the @princessgraceus will be partially funding my thesis film in the sociology major, a fiction (whoa!) film inspired by my life growing up in the suburbs. (Childhood friends beware! The chickens are coming home to roost!) Thanks to Javier Briones for encouraging me to apply, and A.K. Payne for major (and ongoing) help developing the film's story.
This past week @nowincolor was in the @nytimes !! We sat down for an interview and did a shoot with @msantiagophotos , a very talented dude. It’s linked in my bio.
Also, tune into @npr this SUNDAY to hear us (not nervously) talk about the series on Weekend Edition with Korva Coleman. It should be on during the 8am hour (perhaps 8:24am) and repeated a bit throughout the day.
We thank y’all for your support FOR REAL. it’s been challenging and also very fun. We really hope the series does something positive for someone somewhere. (Hopefully more than one person. Lol.)
I would like to invite you all to celebrate in the light and wisdom that is A.K. Payne (@a.ketina ), a friend of mine who is currently changing the theatrical game. We’re pretty much all in awe of her. See for yourself, she is radically incredible.
With this we are proud to present to you Season 2…Episode 1…of @nowincolor our season premiere. Weekly episodes to follow. Find the episode on our site in my bio.
Stick with us for the long haul! We’re setting out to travel in July to shoot Season 3. Thank you for your donations! We’ll be trying out some new things the next time around. ✊🏾
