D.C. Filmmaker

Latest

Admitted to NYU Tisch and USC SCA Film Production Programs.

Soon to leave high school, I have been working all year on applications to various film programs.

I submitted To Chance Upon as a part of my applications to the film production programs at the School of Cinematic Arts of the University of Southern California and at Tisch School of the Arts of New York University. I was admitted to both programs.

USC’s program accepts about fifty students out of about two thousand applicants, and Tisch has an admission rate of about one in five (although I’m unsure about Tisch’s specific numbers).

This is a great acknowledgement for this film.

Why do I want to go? shared on DoubletheNumbersDC.org, FirstintheFamily.org, and AmericanGraduateDC.org

My film, Why do I want to go?, which won $2000 and was the overall winner of Double the Numbers’ Youth Media Competition, has been shared on a number of college access websites. It’s been posted in the videos page of the High School branch of the First in the Family Website, the Youth Voices page on the website of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s American Graduate DC program, and the homepage of Double the Numbers DC.

Please do not comment on posts on this website

Please use the comment systems on youtube or vimeo, or send me an email directly. I appreciate y’all good wishes, but the comment system on this site is filled with spam, and I cannot manage it. I delete all comments on my posts. Thank you!

Why do I want to go? wins $2000 at YMC 2011

Why do I want to go? won the 2011 Double the Numbers Youth Media Competition, earning a total of $2000. It was named “Most original and compelling video/visual product” and “Most compelling product and overall winner of YMC 2011,” and it earned Capital City PCS the title, “School with the most original and compelling product that reflects a high level of collaboration between staff and student.”

ZinnEdProject.org Posts About Zinn Dedication Once Again

Last September, because of my work on Columbus – A Hidden History, my teacher Julian Hipkins, my classmate Jared Perez, and myself were invited to the Howard Zinn Dedication at Busboys and Poets restaurant to speak about Howard Zinn and education reform alongside Cornel West, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Marion Wright Edelman, Barbara Ehrenreich and others.
The Zinn Education Project website recently posted an article with transcripts of our speeches.

Why do I want to go?

This film won the 2011 Double the Numbers Youth Media Competition, earning a total of $2000. It was named “Most original and compelling video/visual product” and “Most compelling product and overall winner of YMC 2011,” and it earned Capital City PCS the title, “School with the most original and compelling product that reflects a high level of collaboration between staff and student.”

In this film, Capital City PCS’s Class of 2012 describes why it wants to go to college.

I produced, shot, and edited this piece.

Out of the Shadow of the Capitol

I created this short film as a part of my application for Chapman University’s film program. It’s a depiction of DC and my life here.
Chapman allows applicants to use music without licensing for these application films.

Interview during John Carlos event published on Zinn Education Project Website

John Carlos came to speak with students from my school, Capital City Public Charter School. At the request of Teaching for Change, I recorded an interview of one student about her reaction to the talk. The video was posted in an article on the Zinn Education Project Website.

We Support Gay Rights on TakePart.com

This is a bit old, but soon after the film We Support Gay Rights was released, TakePart.com wrote an article about it.

Columbus Film Mentioned on the Zinn Education Project Website

Today is Columbus Day, for no good reason.

The Zinn Education Project wrote an article about this ridiculous holiday which features Columbus – The Hidden History.

Howard Zinn Room Dedication at Busboys and Poets.

Through connections I made working on Columbus – The Hidden History, I earned the opportunity to speak alongside Cornel West, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Marion Wright Edelman, Barbara Ehrenreich and others at the Howard Zinn Dedication at Busboys and poets.

Article at the Zinn Education Project Website.

To Chance Upon

A short film exploring DC as an environment where art, diversity, and connections between people flourish, and exploring the transition a relationship can take between the abstract social media realm and real life. It tells the story of a girl’s encounters on a DC Metro train.

Music: “Scattered Knowledge” by Revolution Void.
All other content copyright 2011 Jonah Best, Christian Sanchez, and Diana Sanchez

Scattered Knowledge (Revolution Void) / CC BY 3.0

Jonah’s Reel: 2010 – July 2011

This is the reel I’ll use on film school applications if they want a sample of my work in this format.

Thanks to Marigold for the music.

Where have all the flowers gone? – Music Video for Peace and Love

Jesper Heed, the owner and founder of Peace and Love, worked with the Band of Peace to record a cover of Pete Seeger’s “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” and asked me to create a video to go along with the song. I accepted the assignment and assembled a video with footage I had shot in Borlange.
The video was mentioned in a post on Peace and Love’s online news feed.

Video Credits:
Produced by Mattias Kraemer and Jesper Heed
Directed by Jonah Best
Shot by Jonah Best
Edited by Jonah Best

Song Credits:
Performed by Band of Peace
Vocals by Hanna Turi and Anna Ihlis
Guitars by Ove Jansson and Jesper Heed
Percussion and Keyboards by Patrik Heikintieti
Harmonica by Hakan Sorle
Music and Lyrics by Pete Seeger
Recorded at Rekord Studio, Stockholm
Vocals recorded by Johan Nordin at Gamla Elverket Studio, Falun
Mixed and Mastered by Johan Nordin
Arranged by Ove Jansson and Jesper Heed
Produced by Jesper Heed and Ove Jansson
Copyright 2011 Peace and Love Artists

Human Peace Symbol – Video on DT Website

A local Borlange Newspaper, DT, came to Friday’s gathering and filmed it for their website.
This video was produced and published by DT.