FILM.
HIP HOP.
LITERATURE.
Ray Martenstyn is a filmmaker, hip hop artist and writer.
He directs and produces independent films, releases underground hip hop as MC Southpaw, and writes articles while working on several books.
His work starts from one belief: we are people of one world.
Situated along the Harlem River in the Bronx, The Hip Hop Museum is the defining institution dedicated to preserving and advancing the legacy of Hip Hop culture.
E-SHOP DROPPING SOON!
WHY THIS OSCAR-NOMINATED ANIMATOR REFUSED TO PLAY HOLLYWOOD’S GAME
Two-time Academy Award-nominated independent animator Bill Plympton discusses maintaining fierce creative control and self-funding his hand-drawn animated films without Hollywood studio backing. His career exemplifies artistic persistence, relying on personal investment and crowdfunding to sustain independent projects.
2026 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS
The Film Independent Spirit Awards are an annual awards ceremony founded in 1984 that honors the best in independent film and television. The event celebrates artist-driven, low-budget storytelling, with winners voted on by members of the non-profit organization Film Independent.
HOW TO RUN A MICROCINEMA
WITH JOHN WILSON
John Wilson’s launch of The Low, a 42-seat microcinema in Ridgewood, alongside his Sundance premiering feature The History of Concrete demonstrates how physical, low-overhead micro-exhibition builds a self-sustaining counter-system to unsustainable commercial multiplexes while maintaining direct, autonomous control over community cinema.
FILMOGRAPHY
CLIENTS
GLOBAL FILM INCENTIVES
The Mississippi Motion Picture Incentive Program provides a 25% to 35% cash rebate on eligible local spend and payroll, plus a reduced 1.5% tax rate on production equipment. Eligible projects require a $50,000 minimum local investment and a 20% local crew requirement, with rebates capped at $10 million per project..