Oakland Originals
Oakland Originals is a series of short documentaries that spotlight the ground-breaking artists, thinkers and do-ers that have shaped Oakland, California into a uniquely vibrant and thrilling city, but also whose works have inspired and impacted the world beyond. The three newest films follow a hip-hop MC and culture champion, a charismatic and passionate recreation director, and a twice-incarcerated activist and changemaker.
The three new Oakland Originals films spotlight:
Artist. Athlete. Actor. Activist. These labels barely scratch the surface of the impact that powerhouse writer and MC RyanNicole has on Oakland’s audiences, youth and community. But what happens when her beloved hometown, a catalyst for much of her creativity, is impacted by big tech and gentrification? Can she harness her singular voice to rally the community to preserve the soul of their one-of-a-kind city?
In the heart of Oakland's historic, but struggling Chinatown, Gilbert Gong has spent 25 years transforming a once-sleepy rec center into a vital hub for all ages. Now, after the pandemic, protests, and anti-AAPI violence, Gilbert scrambles to revive Chinatown and heal the fractured community.
Community advocate and activist John Jones III was once a promising student in East Oakland, California when, in the 1980s, his neighborhood was stripped of opportunity and beset by violence and crack cocaine. Lacking opportunities, he fell into trouble and was soon incarcerated as a teenager and again as a young adult. Upon his release, John faced the world without housing, mentors or support. But while in prison, an unexpected message from home gave him a vision into a world where he could be an advocate and changemaker for not just himself but his entire community.
Producer/Director/Editor - Jim McSilver
Jim McSilver is a documentary director, producer, and editor whose work centers on artists and advocates working for social change and environmental justice. Since 2014, he has directed and produced six Oakland Originals short documentaries, spotlighting the voices and visionaries of Oakland, California. His directing credits also include the short comedy Head to Head, as well as branded and nonprofit video work for USA Hockey, the Autism Society of the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Department of Public Works, East Bay Regional Parks Foundation, Intel, Oracle, CamelBak and others.
As an editor and co-producer, Jim’s credits include the NAACP Image Award finalist and Webby Honoree Judging Juries (Apple TV+), a searing look at racial bias in jury selection. He also edited Weathering the Future for PBS and NOVA, and Waging Change, Manifest Destiny, The Split Horn, all for for PBS and international broadcast and films for CNBC, Lucasfilm, Smithsonian Network, and History Channel.
Director/Cinematographer/Producer (Gilbert Gong) - J.P. Dobrin
J.P. Dobrin is a multiracial Korean American documentary filmmaker based in San Francisco, California. He's a two-time Emmy-winning/nominated producer and director of photography who often collaborates with news outlets, documentary production companies, and corporate clients.
J.P.'s projects have revolved around themes of immigration, wealth disparity, and criminal justice, often portrayed through the experiences of ordinary individuals. Notably, he co-directed the Al Jazeera Witness documentary "Irse - Leaving Venezuela" in 2020, delving into the Venezuelan exodus by focusing on the narratives of two expectant women. In 2022, he directed "The Lookout," his latest film presented on World Channel/PBS, offering an Asian American outlook on deportation issues.
His directorial work has been supported by SFFILM, the Berkeley Film Foundation, the Center for Asian American Media, the Video Consortium, and the Asian American Journalist Association. He's been commissioned to make documentaries for Verizon, Capital One, Voice of America, and Vox / Eater.
His educational journey led him to study photojournalism at the Academy of Art San Francisco before pursuing documentary filmmaking at U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
Learn more: www.oaklandoriginals.com
Facebook: /OOdocumentaries
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