"East of the River Film Series" Previewed at 2025 DC History Conference
Paul Grant showcased select excerpts from Part I and Part II of the upcoming “East of the River Series” documentary films at the 2025 D.C. History Conference. Held from Thursday, April 3rd, to Sunday, April 6th, the conference took place at the D.C. History Center and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Main Public Library in downtown Washington, D.C.
The “East of the River Series,” produced by Ascender Films, Inc. and directed by Paul Grant, is a three-part oral history and documentary film project. Generously supported by Humanities DC and the D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities, the series uses first-person narratives to explore pivotal generational changes in the predominantly African-American communities of Ward 7’s 28 neighborhoods, most of which are located east of the Anacostia River. Production on the first two films began in 2014, with both scheduled for release in late summer or fall 2025.
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Part I: We Are Penn Branch
The first installment, We Are Penn Branch, captures the rich oral histories of African Americans who integrated the Penn Branch neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. (Ward 7). It spotlights the transformation of the neighborhood from an all-white enclave in the early 1960s to a thriving community of Black professionals by the late 1970s. Covering the years 1960 to 1971, the film features heartfelt interviews conducted between 2016 and 2021, sharing themes of education, love, marriage, and aging in place. This documentary offers a rare glimpse into middle-class life in Washington, D.C., near the twilight of the city’s “Chocolate City” era.
Part II: SEVEN RISING
The second film, SEVEN RISING: An Oral History of the 2024 Ward 7 D.C. Council Primary, dives into a pivotal generational moment in local political leadership. It chronicles the 2024 D.C. Council primary in Ward 7, where ten candidates competed to fill an open seat left by former Mayor Vincent Gray. Highlighting key interviews conducted during the final 30 days of the contentious primary, the film examines issues such as community disconnection, voter apathy, and political disillusionment. These themes reflect broader challenges found in national politics today.
Through these films, the “East of the River Series” not only preserves vital oral histories but also explores the deep social and political dynamics within Ward 7’s neighborhoods over the decades. Both Part I and II are eagerly anticipated for their rich storytelling and insightful perspectives
Ascender Films Launches 'Seven Rising DC' Film Project Exploring the 2024 Ward 7 Primary
SEVEN RISING : EPISODE I
SEVEN RISING:
AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE 2024 D.C. WARD7 SEVEN COUNCIL PRIMARY
THE STORY
SEVEN RISING is an oral history and documentary series by Washington, D.C.-based filmmaker Paul Grant. It will explore generational changes in political leadership in Ward 7–a predominately African American community of 28 economically diverse neighborhoods in Southeast and Northeast, Washington, D.C.
And it will also examine how the Ward 7 community chooses its leadership. What did we get right? What did we get wrong in the 2024 election process? The project will examine how this local primary in a predominately Black community mirrors our national politics. And how this moment might shape the future of this area.
www.sevenrisingdc.com
WRITTEN, PRODUCED, & DIRECTED BY
Paul Grant
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Paul GrantTracey Grant
EDITED BY
MIRANDA DAY-RAWLINS
FEATURING
Ebbon AllenWendell Felder
Roscoe Grant, Jr.
Villareal Johnson, II
Ebony Payne
Eboni-Rose Thompson
Veda Rasheed
Denise Reed
ALSO FEATURING
Ambrose Lane, JrRev. Kendrick Curry
Latisha Atkins, J.D.
Dr. Marla Dean
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Paul GrantJoseph Neal, III
ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE
Joyce Oh
"The Visit" Wins 'Best Short' Award After World Premiere at 2022 North Carolina Black Film Festival
Our short film "The Visit" earned top prize in the short film category at the 17th Annual North Carolina Black Film Festival (NCBFF) on Sunday, March 27th. The film had it's world premiere at the Hannah Block Historic USO Building/Community Arts Center in downtown Wilmington, NC. Director Paul Grant and Producer Tracey Grant were present at the screening and convened a post screening Q&A with the standing room only crowd. The juried film festival was sponsored by the Black Arts Alliance of Wilmington. Their mission is 'to serve as a multidisciplinary vehicle for the advancement of African-American arts and culture, the Black Arts Alliance serves as an advocate for arts and artists, nurtures emerging and veteran artistic talent, and develops new works in the performing, visual, and literary arts.' The NCBFF screened dozens of films by African American filmmakers over three days and closed with an Award ceremony at the Cameron Art Museum. Mroe screenings and festival dates to come!
It's Time: CDC releases new slate of World TB Day (2020) PSAs produced by Ascender Films
Even the middle of a pandemic related to novel Coronavirus COVID-19, Ascender Films team is pleased to continue to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the production of TB messages for World TB Day 2020. This is our fourth year doing this work and we are always thrilled to work with the talented team at the CDC Division of Tuberculosis Elimination as they document the stories of U.S. TB survivors.
Top Deejay Headphones
First impressions.
Many years ago, I worked for my parents who own a video production company. Because it is a family business, you inevitably end up wearing many hats and being the czar of many different jobs. I mainly managed projects and worked as a video editor. On production, there were times that I was called on to work as an audio tech and was made to wear headphones on long production days. In those days, having a really good set of headphones that picked up every nuance of sound was essential to making sure the client got what they needed. Many years ago, I worked for my parents who own a video production company. Because it is a family business, you inevitably end up wearing many hats and being the czar of many different jobs. I mainly managed projects and worked as a video editor. On production, there were times that I was called on to work as an audio tech and was made to wear headphones on long production days. In those days, having a really good set of headphones that picked up every nuance of sound was essential to making sure the client got what they needed.
Naturally, my first impression of these headphones is based off of the look of them. They have a classic over-the-ear style that is highlighted by a blue LED light that indicates the power for the noise canceling. The padding on the ear pieces seems adequate for extended usage periods.
They are wired headphones, but the 3.5mm stereo mini-plug cable is detachable. Something else I noticed right of the bat was the very nice carrying case that comes with them. It has a hard plastic exterior with a soft cloth interior that helps to protect the surface of the headphones from scratches. I never truly appreciated cases for headphones until I started carrying them from place-to-place. Now I can’t imagine not having a case.
It’s safe to say that because of my unique professional experiences, I’ve tested out a lot of headphones.
John Williams
A perfect fit.
Once I gave the headphones a thorough once-over exam, I tried them on. As I mentioned, they have a classic over-the-ear style and just looking at them, the padding on the ear pieces seem adequate and the peak of the headband seemed to be a bit lacking, but you don’t really know comfort unless you try on the product. So, I slipped the headphones on and found them to be exquisitely comfortable. In order to test how voices sounded, and the overall art of sound mixing, I pulled up Netflix on my iPad Air 2 and watched a few minutes of a movie to hear all the nuances of the film. None of them were lost. In fact, I ended up hearing sounds that I hadn’t heard before. Echoes…birds chirping…wind blowing through trees…breathing of the characters…it was very impressive what the headphones ended up bringing out for me.
Quality.
Now that I had the headphones on my head, I was finally ready to plug and play some music. I plugged the provided cable into the jack on the headphones and then the one on my iPhone 6. Then I called up Pandora. I tend to have a very eclectic music purview and have many stations set up for different moods. From John Williams to Fallout Boy, the sound quality of these headphones was remarkable. There is an amazing depth of sound and incredible highs and lows that make listening to music a truly breathtaking experience.
In order to test how voices sounded, and the overall art of sound mixing, I pulled up Netflix on my iPad Air 2 and watched a few minutes of a movie to hear all the nuances of the film. None of them were lost. In fact, I ended up hearing sounds that I hadn’t heard before. Echoes…birds chirping…wind blowing through trees…breathing of the characters…it was very impressive what the headphones ended up bringing out for me.
SeatPleasantCityCenter.com (Event Web Site)
Ascender was awarded a contract to design the web site and print advertising for City of Seat Pleasant new City Center Groundbreaking event in September 2012. We were thrilled to serve. This historic and important event attracted nearly 3000 attendees and many more online viewers of the online video stream.
“A City of Excellence”
The City Center Project is a “Community of the Future”, an urban lifestyle in balance and harmony with the ecosystem that sustains life responsibly, organically and economically without sacrificing convenience. This project will integrate innovative technology with creative architecture in urban environments to establish local self-reliance and security. Yes, we are “Bringing Communities & Nature Together in Harmony.”
This development integrates innovative technology with creative architecture in urban environments to establish local self-reliance and security. To that end, this development is an integrated, distributed, renewable, sustainable infrastructure and energy production project. Enveloped within the project will be integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), micro turbine, combined cooling, heating & power (CCHP) buildings with geothermal micro turbine wind waste water and trash.
www.seatpleasantcitycenter.org
'A Struggle for Dignity' (Museum Exhibition Logo/ Brand)
CLIENT: Prince George's African American Museum & Cultural Center (PGAAMCC)
DATE: JUNE 2012
ART-DIRECTION/ DESIGN: Paul Grant
NHTSA 'Older Drivers' Awareness Campaign (2009)
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an educational campaign to help families determine when their aging parents should stop driving. This video was produced by Ascender Communications in late summer of 2009 and released in early 2010 for online distribution and television broadcast through a closed-circuit satellite cable networks targeting schools, public and private medical offices.
‘Should My Father Change His Driving Habits’ (trt: 4:37) | 2009
Producer / Director: Paul Grant
Director of Photography: Sean Simmons
Animation & Video Production: Ascender Communications
Writer: J. Monsalve
Agency: The Media Network, Inc.
Client: U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA
