Originally from the South-side of Chicago, Patrick House's interest indirecting started as a child, watching his Dad direct a local T.V. show about life on the south-side of Chicago. Growing up in that environment exposed him to filmmaking and trained his eye for detail and craft.
Tell us about your experience at the Hip Hop Film Festival? I was actually working on a Tyler Perry project through most of the festival but made it back for ACT UP and found it to be a wonderful experience. Showcasing up and coming screenwriters as well as aspiring actors from our community is what sets the HHFF apart. The energy and resources that the HHFF put into these talented individuals continue to pay off as you see the incredible work that's being done.
Why are stories from the culture important? As we know no one can tell our stories better than we can. Through history our stories have been told through the narratives of others and many times co-opted fraught with misinformation and outright lies. Our stories historically have been subordinated to a footnote or minor element of the story. AA actors were relegated to "buddy" roles in major films solely for the purpose of supporting the main white characters. In recent years that has changed tremendously and it's because of institutions like the HHFF that encourages creatives and our community to write, act, film and produce content that we control.
What projects are you working on now? I'm finishing up a pilot episode of THE CASE as well as summaries of the first 3 episodes. I also have a western piece in development that I'm very excited about.
Why do you think the Harlem Film House and Hip Hop Film Festival are important?These events are instrumental in encouraging members of our community to dream big and make things happen. When you see people that look like you, succeeding and storytelling at the highest level it's because of institutions like the HHFF that are in the community doing the hard work and helping brothers and sisters dream big.