The 1st Annual FJK Documentary Festival & Music Conference was powerful! All of the panels were extremely informative and the movies were inspiring! This is the new place for artists and creators of unique content to discover ways to create, finance and distribute films and music by utilizing accessible technologies. Welcome to the next era of content creators. With the lofty goals of building a vibrant arts and business community, the inaugural festival wove together music, art, food, networking and TED Convention -style talks at the Southwest Arts Center. It featured creative and business-focused panels, workshops, master classes, product displays, technology demonstrations and enlightening documentary films.

The “How To Market Yourself As An Independent Artist/ Monetizing Your Music” panelists included Speech (Arrested Development), Anthony David, Avery Sunshine, Dana Johnson, David Seeney, Khalid Gross, Asya Shein (Fusicology) and moderated by Dr. Oliver Greene (Professor of Ethnomusicology at Georgia State University).

The “Finding Success With Crowd Funding” panel heard from Leatrice Ellzy, Fahamu Pecou, Breyuna Williams, ESQ, Dianne Ashford and moderated by Ed Garnes (Founder of From Afros to Shelltoes)

Our final panel, “Radio Today: Terrestrial vs. Digital / Streaming Radio”, we had the best minds in Atlanta radio. Moderated by former WCLK host / Marketing Strategist, Ken Rye, panelists included Derek Harper (107.5), Wanique Shabazz (WRFG -89.3), Jamal Ahmad (WCLK -91.9), Terry Bello (CBS Radio – V103) and LaMont Carson (Founder & Producer of Basement Soul Radio).                    

                          SEE BIOS ON PANELISTS HERE

The movies were the award winning film, “FunkJazz Kafé: Diary Of A Decade (The Story Of A Movement)” followed by Jeremiah Camara’s controversial debut film, “Contradictions” and the evening closed with a rare documentary on funk/pop legend, Sly Stone , “Coming Back For More: Finding Sly Stone”.

                                    SEE THE TRAILERS HERE

Thanks for making the 1st annual FJK Documentary Festival & Music Conference a success! Props to the fusion band SolStar for providing musical vibes as well! This is a band that you want to check out!                                                      

We’d like to give a very special thanks to Councilman Kwanza Hall for his support of the arts community as well as Fulton Arts Council, WRFG, Rolling Out Magazine, Fusicology and Asante Bradford for his consultation.

The 2014 FJK Documentary Festival & Music Conference will be on November 22, 2014. Submit your music documentary by July 1, 2014 for consideration (innovators@funkjazzkafe.com)!