Nov
15
2009
Bay Bottom News produced Jump at the Sun, a documentary on the life of anthropologist and author Zora Neale Hurston, in conjunction with PBS’ American Masters series.
Bay Bottom News, has created many highly-acclaimed films for local, state, and national distribution. A long time resident of Tampa-St. Pete , Producer-Writer Kristy Andersen takes special interest in productions that concern Florida’s environment, history, and culture.
Please visit our Credits page for a list of other people whose work and talent infused the documentary, and for a list of the funders and co-producers for the film.
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Aug
2
2010
Thursday night, August 5, there will be a screening of 
Jump at the Sun at the Tampa Bay History Museum in downtown Tampa at 7P. Along with Q+A from the filmmaker, Dr. Lois Gaston from the Zora Neale Hurston Trust will be attending.
Now that’s history I can relate to!
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Jul
15
2010
The Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem will be the location on July 21 at 8P for a free outdoor evening screening of Jump at the Sun, the PBS’ American Masters presentation of the Bay Bottom News documentary on Zora Neale Hurston. The event is sponsored by Reel Sisters and Reel Harlem.
Zora and the Slugger, who was the first black 
baseball player to sign with the Major League in 1947, shared similar politics. They backed Republicans but used the “cafeteria plan” – picking and choosing which of their politics and politicians they preferred in the party.
Although the park is in Harlem, it was the Brooklyn Dodgers who signed up Robinson not the NY Yankees. Up until then, black players played in the Negro Leagues. Robinson’s very fascinating life is detailed in Wikipedia.
I wish I could be there to join you, Jackie, and Zora. From that article in Wikipedia, it seems they both had the same spunk and spirit, and because of that, this world is a better place. Please be sure to buy a dvd from my good friends Elaine Beery and Natasha Del Toro who will be there in my absence.
For directions to the park, go the Jackie Robinson Park website.
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Jun
23
2010
The Florida Humanities Council is in its third year sponsoring a conference on teaching Zora Neale Hurston’s life and works in the classroom. A week long program, the conference operates out of Rollins College in Winter Park and the teachers travel to Eatonville, Zora’s inspiration for her independent head-strong style. 
They also go to Maitland Art Center and Ft. Pierce, where Zora was buried. I’ll be there screening my film and discussing how teachers can use film terms and techniques to bring writing into their media classes. No more going straight to the camera and the edit suite – writing is an important part of filmmaking!
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May
27
2010
Jump at the Sun had a private screening at Santa Monica College
on May 18 for David Burak’s English class, and was sponsored by the SMC English Dept, Black Collegians Club, SMC Associates, SMC Communication Dept, and Asian-American Pacific Islander Achievement. I was blown away by the students, almost 30,000 total at this fascinating school. A cross-cultural collection in attendance, they embraced Zora’s independence, her Black Nationalism, her love of self and culture. What a beautiful campus in a breathtaking city, perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Zora Neale Hurston had visited California in 1940, driving all the way from Florida, and she wrote about her time there, working briefly for Paramount Pictures. She visited her friend, dancer Katherine Mershon, up in the mountains. For someone whose idea of way up high is the Chinaberry tree in her hometown of Eatonville, she was blown away by the constant climbing.
English teacher David Burak has been described as an “activist” and a former “protestor” and I liked his engaging and questioning spirit immensely. He should be crowned Mayor of the College, or at least given an honorary parking pass if they haven’t already. It was very nice of David to throw in a little smog when I took his photo.
And while Jump at the Sun was busy visiting the Left Coast, the Deedle Deedle Dees paid Zora homage in an interesting little ditty at the Knitting Factory in Williamsburg, a burg of Brooklyn NY.
no comments | posted in About Filmmaking, Events, Jump At The Sun Screenings, Zora Neale Hurston
May
13
2010
The words came from Maya Angelou in the film 
JUMP AT THE SUN as she described the “sweet language” or la langue doux, an Africanism that has found its way into our own language. Angelou heard it in the South.
I found myself wondering why Zora never went to Africa.
PBS viewer David Hardy, a software design engineer from Idaho, wanted to know more about la langue doux (spelling based on Angelou’s spoken words). So he did some research and came up with these interesting comments on his blog.
no comments | posted in Interesting Posts, Zora Neale Hurston
Bay Bottom News produced Jump at the Sun, a documentary on the life of anthropologist and author Zora Neale Hurston, in conjunction with PBS’ American Masters series.
