Talented filmmaker, Shalini Kantayya packs an important message into her short film, RED, which she directed and co-edited. The film merges activism and art to show that in the midst of an uncertain and unjust world, people can still effect change. RED stars Amy Chang (Ikenhisu) and Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Wire), who is the cousin of rapper Wale. In the film, Akinnagbe plays Carlos, a history teacher who tries to provide guidance to one of his students, Grace (Chang). Grace is a graffiti artist on a mission to expose environmental injustice one spray at a time. What I like about RED, in addition to its necessary message, is its incorporation of graffiti art. I’m a hip-hop head and lover of the documentary film Style Wars, which profiled an important element of hip-hop culture: graffiti art. So much can be said through the visual medium, without even uttering a word.

RED is currently one of 15 films competing in The Doorpost Film Project. In the production notes for the film on The Doorpost Film Project’s website, it states that, “RED was fueled by the June 2008 Supreme Court ruling that reduced the amount Exxon had to pay in punitive damages for the Exxon Valdez Oil spill that killed hundreds of thousands of animals instantly and caused severe long-term contamination. RED shows us that hope can be found in the most unexpected places.”

To watch the film and vote, you can go here.