Director of Photography, Javier Armijo, recalls shooting Bill 2/29 almost a year before the 2016 elections. The film is set in the future: near the end of Donald Trump’s second term and just after the passage of a federal law enforcing segregation of all citizens into all white or all black states. “We realized we were working on fiction. We had doubts about whether Trump was electable in the first place, let alone for a second term, but the concept is so jarring. Who could imagine imposing segregation again?”
The film was written and directed by Maurice Simmons of Task Media Films, who brought in Javier Armijo to shoot this ultra low budget indie short. “We were experimenting with the Magic Lantern firmware that enabled 2K raw resolution from a Canon 5D MarkIII. It proved to be a great way to get more out of the camera we had,” says Armijo. Armijo, who’s worked on several short and independent films over the last ten years, is pleased with the attention the film has received. “We had screenings in several festivals throughout the country and I’m especially proud to bring more attention to this issue. You may be inclined to think that the 21st century is a real drag and I think you’d be right; it’s time to re-design our systems. Race relations will remain a headlining issue in 2020, but with even more eyes on the men behind the curtain than ever before. What we do now will set a precedent for equalization on all levels of society for years to come. It’s our job to do what our forefathers left undone.”
Bill 2/29 has screened at the Culver City Film Festival, The Los Angeles CineFest, BASH -Bay Area Short Films Festival, Miami Independent Film Festival, and the DC Black Film Festival, among others. It’s available on Amazon Prime Video.
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FILM WEBSITE: https://www.bill229themovie.com/news
FILM ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/BILL-229-Stephen-PaulAstor/dp/B07VTR1HXY
