Oakland has shaped who I am as a person (and as a diehard Raider fan).
Oakland can be seen in the films literally because they are filmed in here, but also in the sense that my cast is so diverse and represents a section of this city.
CG: Do you see Oakland as a character you draw from? Are there other places from your life's travels that also factor into your storytelling?
JF: I draw my character from Oakland every day. Oakland has taught me how to be strong - influencing how I walk, talk, and carry myself. It has also taught me to go after dreams no matter what and to literally be in the moment because at any moment, we could die. I know that sounds morbid, but people get shot here a lot. I have lost a couple of friends to gun violence and it is such a hard thing to describe.
CG: Are there other places from your life's travels that also factor into your storytelling?
JF: I take my culture, being Scandinavian, and draw from that to be the warrior that I am. in the film I play a Valkyrie (the Nordic angels of life and death). To me this fits so perfectly as an oncology nurse and as someone who lives the way I do - meaning, knowing how precious life really is.
CG: Who are some of the artists who've inspired you on your journey through dance and filmmaking?
JF: The artists that have inspired me through my dance and filmmaking are vast. For starters, Zoe Jakes was and is a HUGE inspiration and has had a huge influence in my dance. When she said she would be in my films I alsmost had a heart attack. I also found Sigur Ros, and his video for Valtari, to be hugely inspiring to my film.
In regards to filmmaking, I have to give a huge shout out to Frank Hemandez. I met Frank when I was dancing for a film at the Academy of Art in SF. He had just lost his mother to Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He was from the Bronx and we just hit it off. He is my editor/writer/Associate Producer/Assistant Director. Without Frank, I don't think I would have thought I could do this. Catherine Tate was another huge inspiration in my filmmaking. She is a breast cancer survivor and she is so positive and has such a good heart. She has helped me SO much just by believing in me.
CG: What advice would you give to other artists starting daunting projects?
JF: Don't ever give up. Learn from your mistakes, and don't get frustrated. Just keep making art. Eventually, one finds their groove: an idea will strike, and everything will just fall into place.
The life of an artist is not easy. The journey is rough and there have been times when I traded food for film (meaning I went hungry to fund it
Have a vision and hold onto it. Take people’s feedback, but consider the source…take what resonates with you and throw the rest out. There will always be haters…and if you don’t have haters, you ain’t doing it right.
CG: Do you have any recommended must-sees, must-reads, must-listens from your favorite collaborating artists?
JF: As for films, there’s the Sigur Ros video I mentioned earlier. I don’t know these dancers, but the film inspired me more than anyone will ever know. Any of Micah’s (Van Hove’s) films are amazing…he is going somewhere for sure. And I definitely think that Frank Hernandez’s film 'Fall' is his best work as of yet.
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