1ST PLACE - Latest Generation Film Contest

1ST PLACE

Kansas City Jazz: A Frontier for Black Success

Mia Rasmussen

Lawrence, Kansas

Director’s Statement:

For this project, I knew I wanted to focus on the topic of jazz because I enjoy the expressive emotion of the music. Jazz is such a unique, expressive, and wonderful genre. It influenced virtually every other genre, and is so rich in interesting history. I am so proud that a nearby city is such a frontier in the genre’s development. I kindled this curiosity for the subject, wondering why Kansas City fostered the jazz movement, and decided to go forward with this project. I wanted to develop a distinct and jazz-influenced style in my documentary, and to do so found inspiration from jazz album cover art, from designers such as Reid Miles and David Stone Martin. I was inspired by the color schemes and abstract shapes from their album covers to develop my own graphics. I enjoyed conducting additional research to make my film look like it would fit in the era, while also making sure it clearly illustrates my points. What motivated me to create this film was not only my love for jazz, but my interest in local history. I really enjoyed going through museums and archives, exploring my initial curiosities. Researching this topic, I began to see many connections between the development of the city and the development of the music. I was intrigued by these seemingly two separate strands of history and I tied them together to develop my thesis. I think that learning about the lasting effects of systematic racism is an important thing to do, especially because it’s not widely known that this segregation was intricately put in place by developers and lenders in the early 1900s. Confronting the uncomfortable truths and educating yourself on both the positive and negative history of the places you live fosters understanding, awareness, and empathy. I hope that I have brought awareness to both redlining and the art of jazz.

Quotes From Reviewers:

"This is an excellent film. Very impressive. Seamless production quality, great storytelling, very good historical depth and clearly a very strong research sense. I especially like the interplay between the musical and the social/political in this very heavily contextual work."

"I really enjoyed this! Engaging visuals, a nice variety of mediums as well as good pacing with information. It was very easy to follow and the creator is clearly passionate about the topic."

"This film immediately immerses the audience in the historical landscape of Kansas City, capturing the impact of redlining, segregation, and the influential figures—such as Charlie Parker and Count Basie—who helped shape the city's jazz scene and beyond. From the very first frame, the visuals, narration, and soundtrack evoke the era with remarkable authenticity and nuance. The editing is seamless, skillfully weaving together archival footage and photographs to create a compelling and immersive experience. This is an exceptionally well-crafted short film, worthy of submission to film festivals nationwide. I truly enjoyed it."