Hunters Point is going global

Film producer Kevin Epps, who created the documentary “Straight Outta Hunters Point,” says that he plans to do nothing but give back to his community and swears that he will do whatever it takes to educate the people in his community. I sat down with him the other day to talk about his feelings towards the Spike Lee movie “Sucker Free City,” a film that seemed somewhat similar to his real-life documentary, with a little Hollywood twist. Kev states that he gave Spike Lee’s production company, “40 acres and a mule,” a copy of his DVD and later, here comes “Sucker Free City.” Was it a coincidence or did Spike bite?

Educate yourself while film director Kevin Epps gives you a little piece of his mind about his knowledge of what went on and what’s still going on with the “Sucker Free City” movie …

Apollonia: Kev, having produced the film “Straight Outta Hunters Point,” a documentary of the cold streets of Bay View Hunters Point, what feelings do you have toward the movie “Sucker Free City,” which I thought was like a fake vision of San Francisco and Bay View Hunters Point and sort of a Hollywood makeover of “Straight Outta Hunters Point?”

Kevin Epps: I think (Spike Lee), not knowing about this community, invaded upon it to make a film and sort of copy a movie that he discovered through the underground that was about to get big, which was my film “Straight Outta Hunters Point.” For him to jump on that and not really know the personal story behind this life in the hood that affected a lot of people was wack. To fluff the situation up and jump on it with a Hollywood type of approach and have people who have no accurate knowledge about this community work on it was not good.

On another level, he being on the level that he is in the film industry and having a film like that pushing on Showtime is big. That goes to show the compromise and sacrifices that you make when you get exploded in a sense.

Apollonia: I’ve seen the movie “Sucker Free City” and there’s a part in it that I found similar to a part in “Straight Outta Hunters Point,” which was a part where a little boy gets shot by one of the gang members he was working for in the HP community. Do you think that similarity had any reference to your movie, where there was an actual shooting of a young boy in the leg?

Kev Epps: Of course, those types of things occur in the hood, but I think in terms of that type of connection, I would have to say so, because they personally requested my film and I sent it to (40 acres and a mule productions). I think they had to have studied my film and absorbed some sort of knowledge from that. They’re making this film and they already have a film that shows actual images of things going on in the hood. It was real personal for me.

Apollonia: Your movie “Straight Outta Hunters Point” hits the streets on Tuesday, Feb. 22, and “Sucker Free City” comes out this week. Were you planning on bringing your film out in February before you found out “Sucka Free City” was coming out?

Kev Epps: I thought Black History Month would be a good month to put the film out, so that was our approach, so I don’t know how both films kind of came out during the same time. It’s interesting though.

Apollonia: Hunters Point is going global with both of these movies and I know that “Straight Outta” has been in numerous film festivals and also showcased at the Metreon in downtown San Francisco. Where are some other places you’ve shown this movie to make it global?

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