ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS MICHAEL RAPAPORT (Director/Producer) A native New Yorker, Michael Rapaport got his break at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival in the award winning film Zebrahead. Since then, Rapaport has appeared in over 40 notable films including, True Romance, Higher Learning, Beautiful Girls, Copland and Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite and Small Time Crooks. In 2006, he earned critical acclaim for his performance in the film Special, which premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Rapaport has also had many standout appearances on hit television shows such as “Friends”, “Boston Public” and “My Name is Earl”. A lifetime hip hop fan Rapaport is proud to make his directorial debut with BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST. EDWARD PARKS (Producer) Originally from Boston, Edward Parks is an award-winning feature and commercial producer and co-founder of Rival Pictures, a Santa Monica-based production company. Rival has produced spots for clients such as State Farm, Toyota, and Nike, as well as the feature film Special, starring Michael Rapaport. The film was received to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival, and was theatrically released by Magnolia Pictures in 2008. Ed is currently developing several feature projects both narrative and non-fiction when he’s not working on his Harleys. FRANK MELE (Producer) Frank Joseph Mele, a graduate of USC’s school of Cinema-Television, has made a career that spans a variety of mediums, including film, television, commercials, branded content, design and visual effect supervision, and entertainment marketing. In 2004, Frank co-founded Rival Pictures with partner Ed Parks with a goal to produce low budget, high concept independent films. Aside from partnering in Rival, Frank owns and serves as executive producer for the commercial production label LFP, which specializes in multicultural and international marketing, consulting, representation, and content. Clients include Toyota, State Farm Insurance, and Nike. ERIC MATTHIES (Producer) Eric Matthies is an award winning producer and director specializing in documentaries, video installations and special features for DVD’s. Eric Matthies’ current documentary film Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams is his debut as a feature length filmmaker. He is also the film’s cinematographer and the producer. His short form documentary film, Ayamye* (Goodness, Kindness, Generosity), was nominated for the Social Justice Fund at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2007. Ayamye* is currently part of an ongoing, worldwide festival about sustainable transportation. Matthies’ company, EMP Inc. has produced promotional packages and ancillary content for dozens of films and games including all of The Matrix titles, 300, Watchmen and Sherlock Holmes. Between 1986 and 1994, Eric worked with the seminal production company H-Gun, shooting notable music videos for artists such as Nine Inch Nails, De La Soul, Public Enemy and Soundgarden. As a young director he received recognition from The Chicago International Film Festival for his work with the legendary band Suicidal Tendencies. Matthies has also produced video installations seen at both the Venice and Whitney Biennial, as well as in galleries and museums around the world. With experience working in the Americas, Africa, Oceania, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, Eric has been responsible for an array of film and multi-media projects on diverse topics ranging from jazz theory to volcanoes. ROBERT BENAVIDES (Producer/Director of Photography) Robert Benavides is a Colombian-American Director of Photography working in commercials, music videos and films. Robert has photographed music videos for Kings of Leon, Cypress Hill, T.I., Snoop Dogg and many other international artists. Commercial clients include Adidas, Kodak, Burton Snowboards, Rockstar Games and many more. Robert has served as the DP on 5 Feature Films, Krews being his most recent. Robert lives in Los Angeles. DEBRA KOFFLER (Producer) Debra is a filmmaker and long-time community educator in the Bay Area. In 2001, she became the Founder and Executive Director of Conscious Youth Media Crew, a San Francisco based digital film production program training high risk youth specializing in direct cinema style storytelling. Debra has produced many short films, music videos and promotions with hundreds of Bay Area youth. CYMC’s work has been recognized by the San Francisco International Film Festival, Cine Chicago Film Festival, Campecine Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film Festival and many others. Honored by the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival for “Outstanding Youth Media”, CYMC’s latest feature length film A Choice of Weapons portrays life in San Francisco’s roughest public housing projects facing redevelopment and toxic waste pollution. Her current work is focused on a green youth media campaign in partnership with Grind for the Green to help bring the hip-hop generation from the margins to the epicenter of the environmental movement. Debra also does media consulting, and freelance work as a camera-woman, editor and producer, but her focus and commitment is to helping young people manifest their divine potential in life through film, music, and art.
- BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - - CREDITS & SYNOPSIS - DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT - ABOUT THE BAND - ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS -
- BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - - CREDITS & SYNOPSIS - DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT - ABOUT THE BAND - ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS -