Experiencing Interruptions?

Lil' RED is RIDING the wrong way in the HOOD!

"Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood" is a Hip Hop twist on a classic cautionary tale. An adventurous little boy gets lost in an urban jungle and runs into a "wolf in sheep's clothing" and a battle of wits begins. Childhood labor and public safety may sound like heavy topics, but this short film manages to make the subject matter approachable.

This short is not just an entertaining animated film set to a hip-hop beat; it's a conversation starter for all ages. It allows us a chance to reflect on who to trust, when, and how to stay safe in an increasingly complex and unpredictable world.

  • Venus Jones
    Director
  • Venus Jones
    Writer
  • Venus Jones
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Animation
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 31 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Kenya, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Venus Jones

Venus is an award winning producer and multi-gifted actress, spoken word artist, and educator with over 20 years of classroom and stage experience. She utilizes her experience in entertainment, academia, and the media to empower and engage emerging and existing change makers to find their voice and use it to promote inner peace and social progress. Her poetry has been featured in esteemed journals, anthologies, and she's self-published four albums and three books. She's earned praise from hip-hop legend Chuck D., shared the stage with Nikki Giovanni twice and was called “Langston Hughes in the form of a Black girl” by Marjol Rush-Collette, the curator of the Langston Hughes Family Museum.

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Director Statement

My very first animated film took ten months of tenacity to create. Need to talk about tricksters and trust, as soon as possible? This is an entertaining and educational tool.

Have you ever made a wrong turn in life? Lil' Red takes a wrong turn and ends up at a crossroad. My initial vision was to meet the child there. I'm the right person to do this because living with ADD and anxiety means I've made my share of wrong turns. But for too many young people and adults, those wrong turns lead to dangerous places, including illegal child labor. Through this animation, kids of all backgrounds can learn to spot red flags and stay safe in their neighborhoods.

This project allowed me to protect my inner child and showcase my skills and experience as a director, SAG actress, spoken word poet, professional voiceover artist, and educator. Everything came together at what feels like divine timing given current events and this motivates me to keep pushing for more social progress until everyone has a safer childhood.

With the support of a hard-earned grant, I've created the most award-winning small budget animation created by humans in history. "Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood" was crafted to keep not just innocent girls on the right path, but little innocent boys too, and may it always spark dialogue that matters.