Workshop Instructors’ Bios
Jamal Hodge
PSA Instructor
Jamal James Hodge is an award-winning filmmaker with 10 years experience in media production. He has worked as a Director of Photography on independent short films, as a Director on over 13 documentaries and short films as a Cinematographer on Bullets In The Hood, Alize Fashions, Gibbs Fashion Week 2005, and finally as a Documentary Teacher for emotionally disabled youth at the Adolescent Employment and Education Program.
His awards include the Sundance Film Festival 2001: Gen-Y Studio for Achievements in Documentary Filmmaking, San Francisco International Film Festival 2005: Assistant Editor: Gold Spire Award, OFF TO WAR Series, San Francisco International Film Festival 2000: Gold Spire Youth Award, San Francisco International Film Festival 1999: Silver Spire Youth Award, Gibbs Music Video Awards Show 2005: Best of Show Award.
Photojournalism Instructor
Among the many hats that Curtis E Hamilton wears as vice president of multi media & marketing for Clarendon Entertainment, Chief of operations for DMM management corp.,
Chairman of the delegate agency policy council for Eastside House .He is currently the president of the New York State Headstart Parents Assoc. Mr. Hamilton is also the director of all photography for the renowned Trinity Digital Studios and serves as lead instructor on all photography. Curtis Hamilton also currently works for the film industry as production photographer and has many film & movies to his credit. He is also the photo journalism instructor for the Free Teens Media Summit.
Francisco OrdoÑez
Digital Film Instructor
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Francisco graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from the City University of New York. In May of 2005 he completed his M.F.A. at Columbia University's Film Program, where he was honored as a Film Division Fellow. Recently, Francisco has been hired to direct “BLOOD OF THE MARTYR,” written and produced by Franc Reyes via his production company, Alumbra Films. Francisco is also attached to direct “EL CENTRO DEL MUNDO” from Executive Producer, Marlene Dermer, Co-founder and Director of the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival,
and “OFF BROADWAY,” from Executive Producer, Rick Najera. To date, Francisco’s Columbia University Thesis Film, “st. paul”, has been awarded Best Film at the HBO New York International Latino Film Festival, the Committee Award at the Miami Short Film Festival, and the IFP Audience Award at the Columbia University Film Festival.
Digital Film Instructor
Vincent Miller is an award winning Art Director in the advertising industry with 15 years experience in art direction and 6 years as graphic designer. After working in the advertising industry for so many years, Vincent decided to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker. So he went to Lehman College to peruse T.V. Broadcast production. He has worked on several Films, Directed Commercials, Documentaries, Music Videos and Special Events.
He also started his own production company called Moflavor Studios specializing in Digital Film and Multimedia production. Vincent is a Film Director, Digital Film Editor, Art Director, Graphic Designer, Screen Writer, Storyboard artist, Singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Musician. He is currently working as the Director of the Digital Film Department at Free Teens USA.
Harlem resident RODERICK D. GILES is a two-time Emmy Award nominated cameraman and director.
Mr. Giles directed the features SAME DIFFERENCE (2000 Acapulco Black Film Festival) and urban horror tale, GOLDDIGGER KILLER (2005 Harlem Film Festival), the short films LOVE CYCLES, BLUE DECRESCENDO, THE DATE (starring Wendell Pierce), GULLY (starring Tyson Beckford), SHOOTOUT, THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY, PAPERCHASE and the dark comedy short HUNG-UP, starring SEX AND THE CITY’s David Eigenberg.
Mr. Giles currently teaches Video Production for Bronxnet, a non-profit community television station located on the campus of Lehman College, C.U.N.Y in the Bronx, NY. He is a co-founder, along with another Harlem native, Rodney C. Parnther, of Clarendon Entertainment, Inc
Kurt Garrison
Webdesigner/Singer/Songwriter
Kurt Garrison is the designer and webmaster of the FreeTeensUSA.org website . He’s also an experienced singer/songwriter with several years working in a NYC professional recording studio. Between his music and designing work, he still finds time to be the director, together with his wife, of the WAIT Team in New Jersey, a performing arts group that educates youth about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and empowers youth to use their talents to make a difference in the world, revolutionizing the culture and modeling abstinence and faithful life partnership. Kurt is also the owner of a youth oriented T-shirt company called via DX.
Poetry Workshop
Celmaly
Poetry Instructor
PSA Workshop
Summit’s Website & Theme Song Recording
Director of CultureMachine.com
Diego Costa is an internationally acclaimed Singer/Songwriter and Music Producer who has traveled the world performing his songs to audiences in America, Japan, Korea, Philippines & Brazil.
Born in the most musical city of Brazil: Salvador, with only 18 years of age, Diego’s first band, Carpe Diem was signed by the major record label Polygram and performed in more than 400 live concerts and appeared in several National TV shows in Brazil.
In 2000, Diego moved to NYC to study Music Production and further his international career. Since then, he’s being producing music and performing in many projects to promote peace and bring people together to celebrate life and love through music and culture like the September Concert Festival in NYC, the Peace Vigil Day in Central Park and the United Nations’ Peace Day. In 2003, he co-founded culturemachine.com with Mr. Richard Panzer, president of Free Teens USA.
Keith Simms , aka K.O Simms is an artist with exceptional experience in the disciplines of watercolors, acrylics, pen & inks.
He has developed his skills over two decades of on the scene drawing and painting of landscapes, cityscapes and figure drawing/portraits throughout the Atlantic Coastal regions.
A designer of graphic communication with knowledge of media applications for television and movies, K.O Simms teaching approaches is absorbed by children and adults with his ability to simplify understanding.
Keith Simms
Visual Art Instructor
Visual Art Workshop
PhotoJournalism Workshop
Digital Film Workshop
Roderick Giles
Music Video Instructor
Errol Pierre (T.R.I.F.E)
Music Production Instructor
T.R.I.F.E. has taken a stand by responding to hip hop’s outcry for a new representative. His lyrics are at best a hybrid of savvy punch lines mixed with profound concepts and vivid imagery.
T.R.I.F.E. Will be teaching an introductory class to the world of song writing. Learn how the R&B pro's like Mary J. Blige, Jermaine Dupri, Alicia Keys, and R Kelly make songs that are impossible to forget. Learn how Hip Hop pro's like Nas, Jay-Z, Kayne West, and Eminem make lyrics that make you want to rewind the song and listen again. This course will teach you a brief overview of literary devices and poetic techniques that will make your songs catchy and add longevity to your lyrics.
Music Production Workshop
Taylor Moore Guest Speaker
Taylor Moore is an 19-year-old inspirational speaker who travels across country spreading a message of excellence, non-violence and abstinence to young people. In addition, she is a certified cable television producer, hosting three shows, and is a gifted percussionist and recording artist.
Furthermore, appearing at churches, workshops and forums this University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Sophomore, has also spoken to groups in Los Angeles, Toledo, Battle Creek, Newark, New Orleans, Baltimore, and Arlington, Virginia. Taylor is a frequent guest on the nationally syndicated television program, "The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet" and has appeared on “Showtime at the Apollo.” In spite of her busy schedule, Taylor epitomizes the excellence she urges other teens to strive for at school. She is on the Dean's List at UIUC with a grade point average of 3.6.
Other credits to the teen's long list of accomplishments, Taylor is a certified cable television producer and host. Her three shows, “Making It,” “Words to Live By,” and “Behind the Scenes,” are on the Chicago Cable Access Network (CAN-TV), channels 19, 21 and 36. The show “Words to Live By,” earned first-place at the 2005 Hometown Video Competition.
A gifted percussionist, Taylor is a member of the Salem Baptist Church (Urbana) Music Ministry, where she plays the drums and sings in the choir... Taylor also plays the piano and composes many original tunes. Her latest recording is a single titled, “I’m Worth Waiting For,” which she wrote herself to promote teen abstinence. She was also recently named Who's Who in Black Chicago as one of the top honorees, Youth Leadership by the Chicago Urban League as well as numerous oratorical honors from Rainbow/PUSH, 4-H Club and Black on Black Love. Taylor Moore is definitely a leader for the 21st Century!
Music Production Workshop
Music Production Instructor
Married 11 years (Wife- Leila)
Father of 5 with only 1 baby mama (father only after marriage)
The Producer of the Free Teens after school clubs music since 2007.
Jamal has 2 years Media Summit Songwriting Workshop experience.
Jamal has produced music with the Boys and Girls clubs.
Youth Producer who contributes to the development of the Positive HipHop/Rock/Pop Genres, working with Various Artists in the NY/NJ area. He says that having an 11 year career in the field of abstinence education helps with the content of positive songwriting. Proficient Wordsmith, Poet, Painter, Photoshoper, Music engineer, Singer, Songwriter, Political Debater, Motivational Speaker, King of the new World! AND Humble because he knows that all have magic within.
Music Video Workshop
Summit’s Website & Theme Song Recording
Digital Film Workshop
Theater Workshop
Jennifer
Miller
Drama Instructor
Dance WorkShop
Sameira
Staple
Dance Instructor
Music . Empowering . Youth
