Kenya's Symphony
Kenya, a bold five-year old girl, is reluctantly dragged to a symphony by her mother. Through the power of the orchestra, the young girl's passion for music blossoms before her own eyes.
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Carlos Douglas JrDirector & Producer
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Michael Van Bodegom SmithComposerBeyond The Door, Me and Myself, Teacher of the Year
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Carlos Douglas JrAnimation
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Micha RogersAnimation
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Helen GrimesAnimation
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Francesco PorcelloAnimation
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Cass RomeroAnimation
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Sean CarterAnimation
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Paul KritikosAnimation
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Lilian Mayumi BermasBackgrounds
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Carlos Douglas JrBackgrounds
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Daniel DinhBackgrounds
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Emilio MalagonBackgrounds
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Melissa BrooksColorist
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Jey WoynerColor
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Francesco PorcelloColor
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Hannah MeyersGraphic Design
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Jessica JurewiczFoley Artist
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Ally GillFoley Engineer
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Ryan FelberbaumSound Editor
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Emilee Q BrackenburySupervising Sound Editor
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Liam RiceScore Mixer
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Alex BrinkleyAdditional Recording Assistance
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Sarah KimOrchestra Contractor
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Adam DibAdditional Music Preparation
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Tomas VidelaAdditional Music Preparation
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Alex BrinkleyAdditional Music Preparation
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Project Type:Animation, Short, Student
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Genres:Family, Music, Children
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Runtime:4 minutes 50 seconds
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Completion Date:December 11, 2019
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Production Budget:0 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes
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Big Teeth Small Shorts Film FestivalChicago
United States
January 30, 2020
World Premiere
"People's Choice~Small Short" -
Reel Cinema FestElburn, Illinois
United States
April 26, 2020
"Best Score" & "Best Film - 1st Runner Up" -
The Lift-Off SessionsIver Heath, Buckinghamshire
United Kingdom
February 26, 2020
Official Selection -
Chicago FEEDBACK Film FestivalChicago
United States
June 19, 2020
Official Selection -
Chicago Southland International Film FestivalChicago
United States
October 23, 2020
Official Selection -
Art All Night- Trenton: 8th Annual Film FestivalTrenton, NJ
United States
August 15, 2020
Official Selection -
Melrose Film FestivalOrlando, FL
United States
September 18, 2020
Official Selection -
New York Animation Film AwardsNew York, NY
United States
June 12, 2020
Finalist -
FLICKFAIRLas Angeles, CA
United States
June 1, 2020
Finalist -
Redwood Shorts and ScriptsSunnyvale, CA
United States
August 23, 2020
Best Animated Short -
Aryan International Children's Film Festival of Jaipur INDIAJaipur, Rajasthan
India
July 29, 2020
Indian Premiere
Official Selection -
ANIMAFILM International Animation FestivalBaku
Azerbaijan
October 14, 2020
Azerbaijan Premire
Official Selection -
Venice ShortsVenice, CA
United States
July 7, 2020
Official Selection -
Chicago Indie Film AwardsChicago
United States
November 1, 2020
Semi-Finalist -
Baku International Short Film Festival
Azerbaijan
December 10, 2020
Official Selection -
International Festival of Contemporary Art "Maiden Tower. To Be A Woman"
Azerbaijan
November 24, 2020
Official Selection -
Tokyo International Short Film FestivalTokyo
Japan
December 2, 2020
Japanese Premiere
Honorable Mention -
1st Monthly Film FestivalBelgrade
Serbia
September 3, 2021
Serbian Premiere
Best Animated Short -
Phoenix Monthly Short Film FestivalToronto
Canada
December 1, 2020
Canadian Premiere
Official Selection -
Tempus Film FestivalMinsk
Belarus
November 26, 2020
Belarus Premiere
Official Selection -
International Film and Video Awards <<Catharsis>>Moscow
Russian Federation
December 11, 2020
Russian Premiere
Official Selection -
Reale Film Festival - Monthly AwardsMilano
Italy
November 30, 2020
Italian Premiere
Honorable Mention -
Super Duper Diversity Film FestivalHollywood
United States
January 28, 2021
Roku Premiere on Shorts Daily TV
Official Selection -
Top Indie Film AwardsTokyo
Japan
January 31, 2021
Official Selection -
Standalone Film Festival & AwardsRancho Cucamonga, California
United States
February 1, 2021
Official Selection -
Ambitus Film FestivalSt. Petersburg
Russian Federation
February 11, 2021
Russian Premiere
Official Selection -
KIDS FIRST! Film FestivalSanta Fe, New Mexico
United States
February 24, 2021
Official Selection
Carlos Douglas Jr is an animator & director/producer of Kenya’s Symphony. He is a spring 2020 graduate of Columbia College Chicago under the Interactive Arts and Media program, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Traditional Animation. He acted as the president of the Columbia College Chicago Animation Association (CCCAA), a prominent student organization at the college intended to expand curriculum beyond the classroom experience, preparing and opening opportunities for animation students in the industry. In addition to directing and producing Kenya’s Symphony, he is the producer on Buster and Jamson, an animated short created for the Animation Production Studio course at Columbia.
Born and raised in Chicagoland, Carlos began creating art at a very young age and continued his study of the arts into adulthood. Carlos studied for years under the teachings of Nikki Kutansky, a long-time arts instructor at the Center for Visual & Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana before enrolling at Columbia College Chicago. During his tenure in Nikki’s class, his interest in animation and motion picture arts was realized. Some of his accolades include creating the character design of “Little Rocky” on musician Rocky Kramer’s music video, Rock Star, creating animation for the 2021 Chicago Jazz Institute's celebration of "International Jazz Day", storyboarding for live-action films produced at Columbia College Chicago, and organizing the 2020 digital Storyreel Showcase at Columbia.
Kenya’s Symphony is a 2-D animated short produced and directed by Carlos, with music composed by Michael Van Bodegom Smith (“Beyond The Door”, “Me and Myself”, “Teacher of the Year”). This project was inspired by Carlos’ employment as an usher for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and his passion for film and orchestral music. This film was completed over the course of three semesters with no budget. His plan was to produce a film primarily driven by visuals and music. The score was recorded by a 60-piece orchestra and combined with a sound mix for a sonic experience without dialogue. Kenya’s Symphony had its premiere screening at the Big Teeth Small Shorts Festival in Chicago, Illinois, winning the "People's Choice" Award in the Small Shorts category. Since then, it has screened in over 60 film festivals worldwide, along with winning 14 "Best Animation" awards among other accolades.
Carlos has a goal of producing and directing animated content with narrative. Television and film provide a great outlet for stories to be shared. Carlos plans to find his place among the animation community and continue to create animated content for the screen.
Kenya's Symphony was completed with no budget, only with the resources that were available at my disposal, along with my collaborators. Kenya's Symphony tells the story of a young girl coming to appreciate an art form less traveled by a modern generation. Diving even deeper, this is the story of a person being placed in an unfamiliar situation and being changed by the experience; this change happens not by force, but by chance. By giving the symphony a chance, she finds enchantment in the unfamiliar.
Despite everything and everyone looking different, Kenya becomes one of the insiders in this fantastic turn of events. I hope that this film can be viewed by people both young and old so that they can have some fun watching Kenya's chaotic energy be transformed into something positive. I also hope that they take away this valuable piece of wisdom with them. Give things a try and experience a whole new side of yourself!