Film festival acclaim grows for locally produced music video, "We Shall Not Be Moved"

SEATTLE - April 10, 2019 - PRLog -- "We Shall Not Be Moved," (https://youtu.be/4xih8JiMsYc) the music video and song by Seattle-based activist performer, Tae Phoenix and featuring Josephine Howell & Friends, took home the Golden Sasquatch for Best Music Video at the Shoreline Short Short Film Festival (http://www.shorelinearts.net/shortshortfilmfestival/) this weekend.

The video is also under consideration for awards at the Universe Multicultural Film Festival (http://umfilms.org/), LA Music Video Awards (https://www.lamvf.com/) in May, Hollywood Women's Film Festival (https://hollywoodwomensfilminstitute.org/) in June and the New Vision International Film Festival (https://newvisioniff.com/) in September in The Netherlands.

"The video addresses themes of what it means to be truly inclusive because to be free, we as a society must advocate together for the full human dignity of every person," said Phoenix. "That means that each of us has to look at where the system gives us advantages, and then use those advantages to advocate for everyone's well-being."

"Our general political climate is certainly at the forefront of many daily conversations and this video reminds us to stay true to who we are and continue to fight the good fight," said Kevin Sheen, Shoreline Short Short Film Festival Publicity Manager

The music video was co-directed by Lara Lavi-Jones and Wayne Rutledge with cinematography and editing by Marko Kharmyshev and Lara Lavi-Jones. The music was produced by Maurice Jones, Jr and features Josephine Howell, Chyeé Howell, Lisa Allen, Lulu Strange, Tanisha Brooks, and Gena Brooks.

"Few times in a lifetime does a director get to work with a person with a voice like Tae Phoenix. She truly is the Joan Baez of our time," said director, Lara Lavi.  "I tried very hard in this challenging piece of art to embrace the wide demographic that makes up the mosaic of our nation.  I hope we help effect social change for the better.  I was honored to work with two other great professionals Wayne Rutledge, one of the best portrait photographers in the U.S. and Marko Kharmashev who is always my cinematographer of choice."

Phoenix's version of "We Shall Not Be Moved" is an adaption of the famed African American spiritual and civil rights song. She wrote it after participating in a 1000-person counter-protest to a right-wing rally in Seattle in 2017. "In response to threatened police action, several hundred of us sat down in the street and began singing "We Shall Not Be Moved." I was handed a microphone and asked to lead the singing. Singing together transformed my fear into a feeling of profound fellowship and trust," she said.

The song and the video were also the cornerstone of a get-out-the-vote digital campaign in the weeks leading up to the 2018 mid-term elections. Phoenix partnered with Vote With Me (https://votewithme.us/) to empower everyday people to become grassroots organizers by identifying and reaching out to the people in their lives who are most likely to need a nudge to get themselves to the polls.

Learn more about the song and see the video: https://taephoenix.com/WSNBM/

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ABOUT TAE PHOENIX

Tae Phoenix is a Seattle-based activist-musician. She has performed at the Village Theatre, The Paramount, Safeco Field, and Key Arena and has toured nationally and international. Tae participated in the recent protests against Brett Kavanaugh in Washington, DC. She was arrested (along with hundreds of other activists from around the country) for singing "Somebody's Hurting My Sisters" outside of Senator Joni Ernst's (R-IA) office, in front of the Supreme Court, and in the lobby of the Hart Senate Office Building. She is active within a wide range of organizations including Indivisible, Poor People's Campaign, Seattle Families Belong Together Coalition, and Women's March.