Rae Shaw
Writer/Director
Rae Shaw is the award-winning writer/director of the short film, Soap and Roses. Soap and Roses is an award-winning film that explores the topic of sexual assault from the perspective of the perpetrator.
In 2008 Rae founded the production company, Wicked Lovely Films, to develop her film feature project, Repass. She also completed a stage production with Write Act Repertory in Hollywood the same year. In 2009 Rae gained fiscal sponsorship through SFFS for The Effrayant Grief Project, an educational companion documentary to Repass, and in 2011 she completed the feature film script romantic comedy, The Misidentifycation of Black Hair.
Repass was a finalist in the 2008 Austin Film Festival Heart of Film Screenplay competition, and her first feature script, Salsa Millenia, was recognized by the Sundance Institute laboratory in 2004.
Rae holds a BA in English from the University of Chicago and is a graduate of the University of Miami Motion Pictures MFA Program. Rae has also studied directing under noted teacher and author, Judith Weston. She has a background in education as an instructor, college counselor and program administrator and has provided workshops for Flex College Prep, the Organization of Black Screenwriters and the Los Angeles Public Library. Rae has also developed youth educational programs for each of her projects.
During her career Rae has received numerous awards. Rae is a recipient of the 2007 Francis E Williams Artist Grant, 2005 Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship and Delaware Division of the Arts 2005 Emerging Artists Fellowship. Previously she was also awarded a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship at the University of Chicago and also received funds from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Leander Morris Memorial Music Scholarship Foundation, Social Science Research Council and Andrew Mellon Foundation which funded production of her film short “Soap and Roses,” shot on location in Chicago.
Currently, Rae is securing funds for the short, Mujer de Fruta, which she is producing in conjunction with ZZyZx WriterZ Group and Cinema Poetry Productions. Mujer de Fruta will be the culmination of the 10-day fundraising event, Poetrypalooza, a unique celebration of poetry in all its artistic forms. Mujer de Fruta is scheduled to shoot in September 2011.
In 2008 Rae founded the production company, Wicked Lovely Films, to develop her film feature project, Repass. She also completed a stage production with Write Act Repertory in Hollywood the same year. In 2009 Rae gained fiscal sponsorship through SFFS for The Effrayant Grief Project, an educational companion documentary to Repass, and in 2011 she completed the feature film script romantic comedy, The Misidentifycation of Black Hair.
Repass was a finalist in the 2008 Austin Film Festival Heart of Film Screenplay competition, and her first feature script, Salsa Millenia, was recognized by the Sundance Institute laboratory in 2004.
Rae holds a BA in English from the University of Chicago and is a graduate of the University of Miami Motion Pictures MFA Program. Rae has also studied directing under noted teacher and author, Judith Weston. She has a background in education as an instructor, college counselor and program administrator and has provided workshops for Flex College Prep, the Organization of Black Screenwriters and the Los Angeles Public Library. Rae has also developed youth educational programs for each of her projects.
During her career Rae has received numerous awards. Rae is a recipient of the 2007 Francis E Williams Artist Grant, 2005 Guy Hanks and Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship and Delaware Division of the Arts 2005 Emerging Artists Fellowship. Previously she was also awarded a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship at the University of Chicago and also received funds from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, Leander Morris Memorial Music Scholarship Foundation, Social Science Research Council and Andrew Mellon Foundation which funded production of her film short “Soap and Roses,” shot on location in Chicago.
Currently, Rae is securing funds for the short, Mujer de Fruta, which she is producing in conjunction with ZZyZx WriterZ Group and Cinema Poetry Productions. Mujer de Fruta will be the culmination of the 10-day fundraising event, Poetrypalooza, a unique celebration of poetry in all its artistic forms. Mujer de Fruta is scheduled to shoot in September 2011.
Kimberly Cobian
Writer/Producer/Director
Kimberly Cobiàn is the locally acclaimed author of a book of poetry, Large Seed in a Small Skin. She is the founder and president of ZZyZx WriterZ, a group of writers from the Los Angeles area who collaborate with other media artists to create innovative forms of expression. She is also producing and launching the unique city-wide event, Poetrypalooza 2011, a weeklong tour of poetry workshops, readings, and music spreading the diversity of “poetry in life” in all its forms.
Ms. Cobiàn earned her B.A. in Child Development in 2006 and was a member of the Creative Writing Club (CWC) while studying at California State University Los Angeles. She was vice president from 2002-2005 and president 2005-2006. During her university career she published in the on-campus CWC journals: The InquisitionandDrop DeadGorges. She was also published in and served as editor for the university literary magazine, Statement. Additionally, she contributed many seasons to the Rio Hondo Community College Writes of Spring Literary Festival. Upon graduating Ms. Cobian became a CWC Alumni member from 2006-2010 where she contributed her poetry and criticism to the CWC online journal and panel discussion. From 2008-2010 she was an event coordinator and organized poetry readings for the club.
Ms. Cobiàn has a bilingual educator background working with children in elementary schools and through local tutoring agencies . She utilizes literature to enrich her students’ lessons and lives. She is always discovering innovative ways to teach and inspire through poetry and storytelling, which has become a natural mission in her life. Alongside teaching writing, she has dedicated a number of years to belly dance performing in a troupe and solos at public events such as: the LA County Fair in Pomona, the Tropicana Laughlin, belly dance festivals, local Mediterranean restaurants, and recently, instructing at Just 4 Me Studio in Industry, California.
Ms. Cobiàn self-published her first book of poems, Large Seed in a Small Skin in 2010. She organized a book signing tour in libraries all over Los Angeles with the CWC writers as her featured guests. Since then she has read and contributed her time and funds to local community spaces and cultural non-profit organizations among others: Corazon del Pueblo, Tuesday Night Café, Avenue 50 Studio, and Nuvein Literacy Project.
In 2010, in collaboration with Henry Chow of Cinema Poetry Productions she released a storyboard film version of her poem, “Mujer de Fruta” on YouTube. Currently, she, Henry Chow, and Rae Shaw of Wicked Lovely Films are working on transforming “Mujer de Fruta” into a live action short film.
Ms. Cobiàn earned her B.A. in Child Development in 2006 and was a member of the Creative Writing Club (CWC) while studying at California State University Los Angeles. She was vice president from 2002-2005 and president 2005-2006. During her university career she published in the on-campus CWC journals: The InquisitionandDrop DeadGorges. She was also published in and served as editor for the university literary magazine, Statement. Additionally, she contributed many seasons to the Rio Hondo Community College Writes of Spring Literary Festival. Upon graduating Ms. Cobian became a CWC Alumni member from 2006-2010 where she contributed her poetry and criticism to the CWC online journal and panel discussion. From 2008-2010 she was an event coordinator and organized poetry readings for the club.
Ms. Cobiàn has a bilingual educator background working with children in elementary schools and through local tutoring agencies . She utilizes literature to enrich her students’ lessons and lives. She is always discovering innovative ways to teach and inspire through poetry and storytelling, which has become a natural mission in her life. Alongside teaching writing, she has dedicated a number of years to belly dance performing in a troupe and solos at public events such as: the LA County Fair in Pomona, the Tropicana Laughlin, belly dance festivals, local Mediterranean restaurants, and recently, instructing at Just 4 Me Studio in Industry, California.
Ms. Cobiàn self-published her first book of poems, Large Seed in a Small Skin in 2010. She organized a book signing tour in libraries all over Los Angeles with the CWC writers as her featured guests. Since then she has read and contributed her time and funds to local community spaces and cultural non-profit organizations among others: Corazon del Pueblo, Tuesday Night Café, Avenue 50 Studio, and Nuvein Literacy Project.
In 2010, in collaboration with Henry Chow of Cinema Poetry Productions she released a storyboard film version of her poem, “Mujer de Fruta” on YouTube. Currently, she, Henry Chow, and Rae Shaw of Wicked Lovely Films are working on transforming “Mujer de Fruta” into a live action short film.
Henry Chow
Producer
Turning written works into film is the first thing that sparked Henry Chow's interest to work in cinema. As a youth Chow shot and edited short films as a hobby. His exposure to film, along with his interest in poetry, helped him to envision the infusion between cinema and poetry and led him to establish the Cinema Poetry Productions website to promote the projects of other artists. Chow helped to create and edit two video storyboard projects of poems that would later become short films; one of these is his current project, “Mujer de Fruta.”
Chow is a published writer of poetry and prose. The poem titled “China Man” was printed in the 2008 Statement Magazine and his second piece titled “Home 1942” appeared in the 2009 Statement Magazine. Chow has also published written works as a contributor to his college campus newspaper, University Times. In addition to writing, Chow is an active member of Zzyzx Writerz, a group of diverse, talented artists who have formed a community that support and nurture one's individual voice.
Chow earned his B.A. in English from California State University, Los Angeles. He has a working background in the field of education, and updates his community blog, The Lincoln Press weekly. The blog is a space where Chow shares his commentary on things and events that occur in the Lincoln Heights and other nearby communities.
Currently, Chow is working with Kimberly Cobian and Rae Shaw to turn “Mujer de Fruta” into a live action short. Chow is currently working with Cobian and Shaw in developing social networking strategies in fundraising for Poetrypalooza 2011.
Chow is a published writer of poetry and prose. The poem titled “China Man” was printed in the 2008 Statement Magazine and his second piece titled “Home 1942” appeared in the 2009 Statement Magazine. Chow has also published written works as a contributor to his college campus newspaper, University Times. In addition to writing, Chow is an active member of Zzyzx Writerz, a group of diverse, talented artists who have formed a community that support and nurture one's individual voice.
Chow earned his B.A. in English from California State University, Los Angeles. He has a working background in the field of education, and updates his community blog, The Lincoln Press weekly. The blog is a space where Chow shares his commentary on things and events that occur in the Lincoln Heights and other nearby communities.
Currently, Chow is working with Kimberly Cobian and Rae Shaw to turn “Mujer de Fruta” into a live action short. Chow is currently working with Cobian and Shaw in developing social networking strategies in fundraising for Poetrypalooza 2011.
