Experiencing Interruptions?

My Own Mecca

Oakland native, Dre, must contort himself in order to safely navigate through life. We follow Dre as he comes to terms with the relationship between his vessel and his world.

  • Alba Roland Mejia
    Writer
    Blackness is Everything, Code Switch, The Initiation
  • Jon Harrison
    Writer
  • Saida Edwards
    Writer
  • Alba Roland Mejia
    Director
    Blackness is Everything, Code Switch
  • Maddy Graves
    Producer
  • Monica Castro
    Producer
  • Marsalis Burton
    Key Cast
    "Dre"
  • Errick Thompson
    Key Cast
    "Walter"
  • Rachelle Highbrou
    Key Cast
    "Anyssa"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 2, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    9,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Super 16mm film
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - San Francisco State University
  • Palm Springs International Shortfest
    Palm Springs
    United States
    June 27, 2021
    California Premier
    Finalist Best U.S. Student Short
  • Charlotte Black Film Festival
    Charlotte
    United States
    June 24, 2021
    North Carolina Premiere
    Finalist Best Student Short
  • Brooklyn Film Festival
    New York City
    United States
    June 9, 2021
    World Premier
  • BronzeLens Film Festival
    Atlanta
    United States
    August 17, 2021
    Georgia Premier
Director Biography - Alba Roland Mejia

Alba Roland Mejia is a writer, producer, and director based in Oakland, CA. She has an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University (SFSU) with a focus in directing narrative. Alba's work focuses on the African diaspora and strives to capture the true essence of storytelling by pulling from real life experiences.

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Director Statement

My Own Mecca increases representation for Bay Area stories through an accurate depiction of life in the Bay Area, specifically those who are people of color. Our crew consists of mostly Bay Area student creatives from various backgrounds. It was important to me to keep this film as local as possible in order to keep the integrity of the story. Oakland carries a strong sense of oneness and community that we felt it was important to take a closer look into an individuals life experiences.

My Own Mecca is a film based on personal experiences of the writers that isn’t solely the story of our own but can be seen as a representative of other people of color.

This project touches on the many situations that black men find themselves strategically navigating through their everyday lives in order to protect their vessel from the outside world. This short film can serve as a way for people going through these experiences to have a positive outlet to discover more about themselves through conversation with others who have experience similar moments.