Paul Hunter, McG, Tamara Davis, F.Gary Gray, Spike Jonze, Anton Corbijn, Mark Romanek, Floria Sigismondi, Anton Fuqua, Michel Gondry…if you haven’t connected the dots already these are all feature film directors who honed their skills directing music videos. If things go his way, R. Malcolm Jones hopes to be added to that list.
The Florida native has worked with artists such as Nas, Avril Lavigne, Pharrell Williams, T.I., The Game, R. Kelly, Fat Joe, Jermaine Dupri, Lil’ Wayne, Diddy, Clipse, Rick Ross, Lil’ Mama, Paul Wall, Pitbull, Trick Daddy, Birdman, Yummy Bingham, Slim Thug, Jadakiss, Eightball and MJG, T-Pain and more.
Slated to be released this summer is his first feature film The Magic City, a film about a young girl’s survival in the gritty Liberty City area.
Synopsis:
Set in the vibrant atmosphere of Miami’s underground teenage club world, we follow the powerful journey of Amiya Castle, who feels discarded by her mother after being left to spend the summer with relatives. In the gritty Liberty City area, Amiya, a deeply troubled girl, comes face to face with unbelievable circumstances of tragedy and turmoil that she chronicles.
When Amiya is forced to explain a school report, she reveals accounts of her summer infatuation with the neighborhood thug and of a young girl’s attempt to keep her drug-addicted mother alive. Amiya is also pressed to explain the tragic story of two sisters, Nia and Tiana, who are fiercely devoted to each other and to staying out of the welfare system, where they spent several years after their mother abandoned them.
Now living with their only available relative, Aunt Georgia, Nia and Tiana, feel hopeful for the first time in their young lives. After an unexpected death occurs, the girls’ friendship grows into a tight bond, where personal lessons are learned and a dark secret is kept…
The Magic City is full of vibrant characters, and gut-wrenching twists and turns. This is a story of hope, heartbreak and ultimately, the will to survive.
The transition from videos to film can be a roller-coaster and if you’ve been reading the weekly postings from director Matthew Cherry HERE, who’s also embarking on his first feature film, you’ll gain a better understanding why.
Jones told the South Florida Times that he felt the time for change saying…“You get to the point that it feels like it’s time to move to the next level. You feel like you are not being challenged enough anymore.”
His biggest goal for the film…“My dream,” he says, “is that these kids can use this in the future as a calling card to get into the industry.”
No word on an official release date. You can stay updated by visiting the film’s Facebook page HERE.
Below is the trailer and the music video reel for Jones.
Director’s Reel from R. Malcolm Jones on Vimeo.