Game Changers Podcast with Quinn St. Juste
Game Changers Podcast with Quinn St. Juste
Award Winning Filmmaker Kyvon Edwin Reveals Top Tips for Success
Join us for an inspiring episode featuring Kevon Edwin, a passionate filmmaker devoted to telling authentic Caribbean stories. From his roots in St. Lucia to his current projects, Kevon shares his journey of creativity and community engagement. Discover how he strives to elevate Caribbean narratives on the global stage through his latest project, "Bagaila Lupote," a compelling story that embodies the challenges of a young cricket athlete.
In this engaging conversation, we delve into Kevon's artistic influences, the significance of authenticity in storytelling, and the essential role of community support that drives his projects. He explains the intricacies of the filmmaking process and why crowdfunding helps him engage with audiences deeply. Moreover, Kevon passionately addresses the obstacles faced by Caribbean creatives, emphasizing that greatness is rooted in community collaboration.
As Kevon reflects on his journey, he offers invaluable advice for aspiring filmmakers on how to turn challenges into opportunities while embracing their unique narratives. Tune in to hear about the power of storytelling and the collective journey to inspire greater representation on the screen. Don't miss this chance to gain insights from a creator dedicated to making an impact. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share your thoughts!
Hello everybody, welcome to yet another episode of the Game Changers podcast. My name is Quincesh Yus and it's a privilege and pleasure to be here with you. As usual, my guest today is a young man who is really, really amazing. His name is Kevon Edwin and he is a filmmaker. He's an artist who tells stories via the screen, but not just any story, but authentic Caribbean stories. I'll give him a chance to introduce himself to you fully and I'm sure you will enjoy this episode. Yo Keevon, what's up, man? Great to finally have you here, you know, just before we started recording.
Speaker 2:We were saying that you were a fan of my work and I have been a fan of your work as well, getting your message and creating an incredible platform where creatives, entrepreneurs, everybody who's doing something to change the game has a space to come share their story, and we need these kinds of environments to get the word out, to inspire other people. So kudos to you for the work that you've been putting in and it's an honor to be here.
Speaker 1:For sure, all right. So let's get straight into it. Man, to you for the work that you've been putting in, and it's an honor to be here, for sure, all right. So let's get straight into it. Man, tell my audience a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Just some general information, okay um, so I'm kevon edwin, I'm a saint lucian actor director and I'm passionate about telling you know West Indian stories through the screen, theatre, film, on essentially any platform that I get my hands on. Yeah, man.
Speaker 1:Beautiful and I'm guessing a natural follow-up would be what sparked your love for storytelling and film in general yeah, that's a.
Speaker 2:I'll try and think of it before I came on interview like boy. Where did it start, like what's the what's the spark? But I think I can point to my smc days as like kind of the origin of my story, so to speak. But even before SMC I was in hell and folk dancers and I've always been involved in some kind of creative element, um, in my life. So it it. The journey has just always kind of just evolved. But I think SMC is where it kind of started to really get crystallized and it's like, oh yeah, man, this is, this is my passion and this is what I want to do with my life. And that really started with, um, the SMC Drama Club. Being a part of that club was the first space where it really kind of clicked in my mind Like, oh yeah man.
Speaker 2:I want to be an actor and I want to pursue that at like the highest level possible. So I think that that's where the spark started and everything has just kind of evolved around. That stemmed from that and branched off, you know.
Speaker 1:Beautiful. Now you mentioned that you like to tell Caribbean stories. Why, why does that matter?
Speaker 2:I mean, I think it matters. Well, the reason that I personally like to tell it is because it's what it's my roots, like you know what I mean. It is what I know, it's where I was molded. Like I'm based in New York now and that's where I live. But, like everything that I am as an artist stems from having grown up in St Lucia, stems from all of the experiences that you know shaped me into the artist that I am, so it's to me a natural feeling to want to share those stories, feeling to want to share those stories and for me it's all about telling our authentic, raw, real who we are as a people on a global stage.
Speaker 1:For sure, that makes a lot of sense, bro. All right, so I know that you're working on a project now. In fact, that's one of the big reasons that I have you on today. Um, just tell me about this project, man all right, cool, cool, cool, um.
Speaker 2:So, yes, the project I'm doing now all right. So the project I'm working on right now is called bagaila lupote, which is creole for the things we carry, and this project is a proof of concept for an episodic project and it's all about a young cricket athlete's journey to being on the national West Indies team and everything that he's going to in his home life to overcome and make it there. Um, and yeah, that's that's what we're working on right now and we're currently crowdfunding for it on Kickstarter and we're raising 16.5K to head out to St Lucia and film the proof of concept and from there we want to take that to film festivals and different markets so that we can build the momentum to actually create a pilot episode for the project.
Speaker 1:Got you. So take me behind the scenes, man. For those who don't know what it takes to develop something of that level, of that caliber, take me behind the scenes, tell me what does it take, because I know you started a Kickstarter but people might not understand what it takes to do a film. People might think you know, you just take a camera, you record and that's it. I know maybe some editing, but tell me about that.
Speaker 2:I wish it was that simple man. Yeah, this project has been a journey. I have been working on just the script alone for the last four years and so the pilot episode script. I was blessed enough to be a part of an artist community over at Descendants Collective in 2021, where I was able to first present the project and workshop it with some incredible artists, and I got a lot of great feedback. And from that process I've been developing, tweaking, you know, working on the project and trying to get it to its best possible quality. And in that time, you know we've, over the last year, started working on the short film version of that to have this proof of concept ready to go. And that process has been a year of developing the team, you know, working with creatives back in St Lucia, working with creatives here in New York because that's where I'm based and really putting together what I would call a dream team to bring it into reality. You know we're blessed enough to work with the likes of Junior Frederick, who's a producer on the ground in St Lucia. We had the likes of Shirley Williams, who's a producer here in New York as well. So it's been a journey and the behind the scenes of making something like this.
Speaker 2:It's just a lot of work to develop it because for me, I, I want to create an excellence. You know, I, I want to create something that not only appeals to the local st lucian market but has, you know, huge international global appeal and that people can connect to. And so you know huge international global appeal and that people can connect to. And so you know, to create that we want to create something of quality. We want to use the best of the best in St Lucia and from Wimma Network. So that's a little bit behind the scenes and it's just, you know, developing a great crew, building out the camera, crew, lights, sound elements. You know all the production logistics to book locations and get everything in shape. But you know it's a great team. Truly, anything is possible.
Speaker 1:For sure.
Speaker 2:We cook it.
Speaker 1:For sure. And then you chose the method of crowdfunding to raise funds. Why this method? You know many people might not understand. Why crowdfunding?
Speaker 2:so tell me yeah, so the the beautiful thing about crowdfunding is that, like, it allows us to tap into our community to bring something to fruition. Because, you know, the reality for me is I don't come from a wealthy background and I have, as is the case for many like of creatives working in the indie film industry is that we don't have the financial resources to pursue our dreams, to bring these things into reality. And so what the crowdfunding allows us to do is to put our vision out there, reach out to our community and say, hey, this is what I would like to create and bring it to the world. Join me on the journey, help me make it happen. And through that we're able to, you know, get donations from every single person, get $5 a year, $10 a year, $25, but it all adds up and it helps us to, you know, reach our overall goal.
Speaker 2:And, you know, the other beautiful thing about the crowdfunding, too, is, you know, through the process of reaching out to people, putting the vision out there, we also get in really great feedback on what in the story could work, what people resonate with. And so, you know, we're not creating in a vacuum, we're creating in a community, you know. And at the end of the day, I want my work to be authentic and representative of the people. Ie solutions that I go and everywhere I go. So the process also just helps us be really, really connected to community and create something that we all are passionate about. You know, Beautiful.
Speaker 1:Now I know, before this particular project, you worked on something called Letla. What was that?
Speaker 2:So Letla was my first film and that was, you know, if you're Lucien, then you definitely heard of Letla before RCI.
Speaker 2:And so I, man Letla, let luck came to because, you know, like I said, my passion is telling authentic west indian stories.
Speaker 2:And you know, I really was in a in a state where I wanted to be more proactive with my career and, like you know, I'm an actor, so I go out for different auditions a lot, but it's very rare that you get something that's like a Caribbean native or first, first generation, or something that's really close to the culture.
Speaker 2:And so it, it really was the push of like I'm not seeing enough of that work. I I want to tell these stories, why I keep waiting for people to give that opportunity and just being inspired by my mentors and, you know, people in my circle to like let me just you just go out and create it, um, and create the things that that I want to see in the world and that I believe that we need. And so it just came together, naturally, like the idea for let la, the idea of Letla, the idea of, you know, a radio host in this world sharing his story, and we just found ways to just really, really tell something that was true, passionate, and you know it's been a great journey with Letla Beautiful.
Speaker 1:So what really is your message? What is really the message that you try to bring across? Not just for individual films, but I know different directors, different producers have almost that MO, that modus operandi that they genuinely try to portray in every film.
Speaker 2:It's almost like a signature.
Speaker 1:So what would that?
Speaker 2:be for you? That's a great question. I think it's a multitude of things, but if I had to put it like, like simply capillary to one thing. But it's a lot of different things and the first thing that jumps to mind is, like, the power of community. Because even in Let Lie, you know it's about this radio host and he's going through something and he's on the air. But even Let Lie, the show itself is all about community. It's all about people calling in and us holding each other accountable, whether or not you know the person intimately or not.
Speaker 2:And I think that's just something that's, you know, in the ethos of St Lucia on a whole. It's like you know, if you go down the road, know somebody who knows somebody like you know we, we have a very tight-knit community and that's what I come from, and so I think in my work it it shines through time and time again the power of community and the power of allowing ourselves to grow um. And so in let nahi, he relies on his community to overcome, you know, his internal turmoil. In baga il nupote, which I'm creating now, it's, it's this young man recognizing his aspirations and, you know, creating a brighter future for himself, his community and his family, and so I think the ethos and the key thing in all my work so far has just been that you, you know the power of community and aspiring to greatness truly yeah for sure.
Speaker 1:And that cricket story is so relatable because, I mean, we've known, we have our own examples of that Johnson, charles, darren, sami and the younger ones coming up. So relatable, of a young man coming from poverty, coming from something that is not ideal, and making a name for himself on the international stage. And that power of community that you referenced a while ago makes a lot of sense because I mean, it truly takes a village right and it's a collaboration. We might only see one person, but it truly takes that entire village.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, 100%, and that's's like that's one of the key messages in the film. You know that we create, and it's that you're not one, you're not doing it alone and even as you go through that journey, you're not doing it for yourself. You know what I mean. I think and it's something I reference a lot, as I'm like pitching the project is like yeah, you see, julian Alfred, you see that story, you see that greatness, it doesn't just happen in a silo. Like there's so much more to her story than just that moment when she crossed the finish line, you know. And so for me it's kind of like peeling back the layers for the wider world to see like, nah, this is what St lucia is really like, this is what our people are capable of and this is how we are able to take ourselves from limited situations and create something great. You know. So we will dive into all of all of those, those teams in the absolutely, and you know I'm excited to see it.
Speaker 1:You know I know it's still a concept, but I'm so excited to see it, it's in the works alright, bro, so we're moving on to our segment, which I really like. In fact, it's one of my favorite segments of a Game Changers interview the classics yes, I've seen this the quick hitters rapid fire questions. Yeah, classics. Yes, I've seen this the quick hitters, rapid fire questions. So we typically tell our guests to answer in 30 seconds or less, but if you go longer I won't kill you, all right, all right.
Speaker 1:So first, quick hitter question who would be your dream collaborator?
Speaker 2:The would be your dream collaborator.
Speaker 1:I know that's a hard question.
Speaker 2:Quick, quick. Yeah, I think there's like so many, but the one that jumps to mind, I would say, is Charles D King, who's the executive producer and founder over at Macro, and the reason I say that is because he's gone on to build a really, a really incredible production company that produces projects that have a wide appeal, global appeal, but the stories are so rooted in, you know, underrepresented communities, and so I would love to work with, I would love to work with him. You know underrepresented communities, and so I would love to work with um. I would love to work with him.
Speaker 1:You know that would be a dream collaboration for mine and and for roots production so next quick hitter question as a director, producer and writer and actor, which role challenges you the most and which one feels most natural?
Speaker 2:I would say most natural is acting. You know, that's the first love right there. Most challenging is definitely directing, not you. Yeah, oh, we can expand on that later.
Speaker 1:No problem. Final quick question who would you like to see on this podcast?
Speaker 2:You know who I would like to see on this podcast? Um, you know who I would like to see, and just because I'm a fan of her, of her work, her message, everything that she does um, fiona compton, I would really love to.
Speaker 1:I would really love to see her interview on this, no problem so what we usually say is if you give me the contact, I'll make it happen, okay.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't personally know her like that, but yeah, but if ever, I definitely, I'll definitely.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure, for sure. All right, bro, so we're moving on to the back end of the interview. You kind of touched on that. Directing tends to be the hardest role for you. Yeah, what does it really take to be a director?
Speaker 2:you know it's interesting because it's definitely a role that it it the entirety of.
Speaker 2:You know, your creative, your just logistical thinking, it really it's a very holistic kind of impact that you have on each project and your team, and so it's something that it's not easy.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean, because you're essentially creating, you're building a team, you're guiding and you're bringing all of these different pieces together to create a vision, and so it is a challenge. But I've been blessed to be a part of the Black Film Space mentorship cohort, where I've been paired with a director who's far, far more experienced um than myself, and she's been working alongside me over the last six months to, you know, mentor me through the process of directing, and part of undertaking this project too is really to allow me to you spread my wings and grow my skill sets as a director, because it's a journey. You know what I mean. This is my second project and there's going to be 10 more, and each one you get better, you learn something different, and you know I'm excited about that journey and I can, you know, genuinely honor where I am in that process. So I say it's challenging because it still is at the moment, but through time, you know, I know, I know it will get better. You know, do the work, hopefully speak.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, the thing about challenges is that the challenges you face now will just be different challenges than the ones you face, yeah, when you get bigger, because bigger budgets a hundred percent when you get bigger because bigger budgets 100% bigger sense bigger challenges in certain, in certain instances.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it all, it all like feeds, it all feeds into each other, because even in some of those conversations I've been having with her, it's, you know, it's interesting to even for her to like help me through this process, because she's able to relate to things that she went through her journey when she was at this point. Actually, there was like pass on those lessons and help me think about things a little bit differently so I, I don't make the same mistakes. You know what I mean and it it's already between letla and this project. I can already see the growth within myself and how you know how I handle certain situations, how I, you know, try to navigate and inspire the team. So it everything, which is what I love about life. You know not to get too philosophical, but you know everything feeds, you know your journey and it helps you. It helps you to grow. You know what I mean. The challenges, like you just said, they become the winds of tomorrow.
Speaker 1:Sure, I embrace it all. Yeah, and I agree with that so much because it's all connected, bro, like nothing in life exists in a silo, everything is connected. No, everything has its links. You just need to understand and discover the links and then, therefore, you can discover. You know how do I go about really utilizing you know what I've learned and really transforming my life in that way yeah, yeah, 100% man for sure all right, bro, so we're moving on to the back end quickly.
Speaker 1:What is the biggest challenge that west indian or caribbean creatives face in today's world in your opinion?
Speaker 2:Nah, it's definitely it's sad to say, but like it's definitely resources and the lack of resources, to be specific, because we tend to not have the financial resources, the opportunities you know, to create at scale. And I think it is a challenge in and of itself to make things happen and to navigate the industry and to be a creative you know, which is why, like for me, I had to like move to New York because that's where I'm able to find opportunities and able to pursue my passions, because that's where I'm able to find opportunities and able to pursue my passions and unfortunately, we don't necessarily have sustainable avenues to do that in the Caribbean. And you know part of what I'm endeavoring to do and you know part of what I see as my mission is to help bridge that gap and to help bring those resources and create those opportunities for future generations.
Speaker 1:All right. So what advice, then, do you have for aspiring filmmakers like yourself who really want to transform their lives, who want to change their game when it comes to filmmaking?
Speaker 2:Well, you know what, what, and the beautiful thing and this applies to life on a whole is that the obstacle is the way, because the the reality of not having access to a lot, not having the resources.
Speaker 2:Those are our realities, but at the same time, that's our opportunity to use what it is that we do have in our environment to create from, to be bold, to be fresh, to be innovative. You know. So my word of advice to you know, fellow aspiring filmmakers, or creators in a whole, is to do whatever it is that you aspire to do with what you have. Do whatever it is that you aspire to do with what you have. You understand, and I think that the more and more that we learn to kind of let go of any expectations, to do it differently or do it better, the faster that you will see. You know your progression, because you have to start where you are to get to where you want to get to. So my advice embrace what it is that you have, use it and maximize it and take it as an opportunity to be even greater. You know, um beautiful.
Speaker 1:That makes a lot of sense, bro. So you, you know, I often think of it as building muscle, like in a gym, and also the struggle is the story, you know like yeah, man, people think that you know the struggle and the story are two different things. But the struggle is the story and without plot twists, without you know drama, there is no story.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a boring movie. If you just you wake up and you decide to do it, you do it. You need, you need the trials, you need the tribulations, you need the opportunities for yourself to grow. You know, I mean like I can share with you that even in the journey of creating this project, like getting to this point alone has been a journey there. Nothing, yeah, nothing easy, but it's it's worth.
Speaker 1:You know, um beautiful final question to you, bro where can people access your work?
Speaker 2:aha well and god is good. Um, so letla recently got acquired by Aspire TV and it's now airing on their channels, so to millions of households. It's now open and airing every Tuesday evening at 8 pm. If you don't have Aspire TV, you can always sign up for Aspire TV Plus and, just so you know, you can get a little free trial if you check it. So head on over to Aspire TV Plus and you can view my most recent project, let La Beautiful. And then for my other works and portfolio, you can always check out my website and my social media pages. For Roots Productions, which is my production company, you can check us out there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, once you said free, you know, I think something went off in some some Lucian's head. You know we like freeness.
Speaker 2:So you can definitely watch the video for free.
Speaker 1:All right, the original project, but please subscribe afterwards.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, cause more is coming, yeah definitely, definitely, and of course, I would say, like you know, um, as we in the midst of the campaign, you know, shameless plug is, you know, to head on over to our Kickstarter page Right now. We have less than a week by the time this comes out, less than a week or so to reach the finish line. It's an all or nothing campaign, so everything that we've raised so far, we won't get it unless we hit our goal. So every dollar counts, every two dollar counts. So head on over there and support us absolutely, bro.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for this interview. I appreciate you coming on, man. I learned so much in our short conversation, but I hope that I was a blessing to you as well yeah, man, definitely.
Speaker 2:Like I said at the beginning, bro, thank you for creating this platform, for being consistent with it and keeping at it, because I know for you, too, nothing easy. So I applaud you for creating this and for continuing to do it. It's important I feel blessed and inspired here to just sit down and get to just talk about my journey and and share these stories. And even I was listening to some of the interviews and before this, like Kidel and all that and I was like, yeah, this is beautiful.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I appreciate that man. All right guys. So this has been yet another Game Changers podcast. If you're new to the channel, I would ask you to like and subscribe Right and follow us on audio streaming platforms. Game Changers is available wherever you get your podcasts Spotify, apple Podcasts, on YouTube Regardless of where you get your podcasts, game Changers is available Anyhow. This has been yet another amazing episode and to thank you for coming on and listening and, as always, stay hungry and I'll see you next time. Bye.