Room Rodeo

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DIRECTOR: Daniel Kayamba
WRITER: Yanni Chisolm
PRODUCER: Lola Mosanya, Chloe Herring
GENRE: Drama/Documentary
FORMAT: Short
STATUS: Post production

His dad stands him up. He acts out. Now Jamil is on punishment in his room. He’s also finally reached the fifth grade and has a history project due. If only his dad would tell him about his great-grandpa, rodeo star Billie P – like he promised. When his dad calls and things begin to look up for Jamil, the cool kid from class calls with a humiliating declaration: Black cowboys aren’t real. Now, Jamil must prove he’s the descendant of a legendary Black cowboy or suffer a blow to his innocence. Jamil embarks on a quest to discover the truth on his own – all from the comfort of his room. With some help from a dubious heirloom, Jamil puts aside his doubt to venture into a fantasy dreamscape where he drums up the courage to claim authorship of his own story.

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DIRECTOR: Daniel Kayamba
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and raised in Portland, Maine, Daniel Kayamba is a Chicago-based filmmaker and photographer. Through mixed media and genre-bending storytelling, he explores representation, inclusivity, and youth culture in the lives of minorities. Kayamba’s latest short film Flowers and Bikes premiered at The Savannah College of Art and Design Film Festival as part of their Global Shorts Forum, a program committed to sharing stories about the Black experience internationally. Kayamba aims to capture an honest performance and highlight the beauty of Black legacy in Room Rodeo. Recognizing the importance of Black representation in cinema, Kayamba hopes the film will remind young African-American children of the importance of learning their history and legacy in America.