By Donna Isbell Walker
Photo courtesy of Antwan Witter
South Carolina poet Antwan Witter won second place in the film category of the Engage Arts competition for a three-minute film shot entirely on his iPhone.
Witter, who is 32 and lives in Point South, took second place and a $ 5,000 prize for his first attempt at making a film, for “My Biggest Fear”, which explores the concerns of many African Americans in that will not survive a police raid in traffic.
The film’s concept came in part from a poem Witter wrote about how his worst fear as a child was drowning, but as an adult, he is now afraid of being killed during a traffic stop by the police.
But Witter’s four oldest children, aged 2 to 12, and their questions about police violence were the main inspiration, Witter said.
During a year when the assassination of George Floyd sparked protests and a dialogue about race, the children asked many questions.
“They asked me what was going on and I had a hard time explaining it to them,” said Witter.
“My Biggest Fear” was filmed over a weekend with Witter playing himself and the cop who pulled him. The Videoleap app helped with the special effects.
Engage Arts is a competition created by North Carolina philanthropists Bill and Linda Bantz. Categories include films, video clips, visual arts and performing arts, and participants should base their creations on a passage from the New Testament book of Ephesians.
The theme of the Bible passage is a spiritual battle between the forces of good and evil.
The Ephesians passage “was really perfect for me to explain (to the children),” said Witter. “In Scripture, it says, ‘From the full armor of God,’ so I was able to explain to them that it is not the royal officer, it is more the evil spirit. So, I was able to break it down like that. As soon as I started talking about it, we actually made the film and then we submitted it. “
Her four oldest children can be seen in the film; her 6-month-old baby was born after the film was completed.
Witter has been interested in cinema since he was a freshman at Jasper County High School in Ridgeland, South Carolina.
“I was put in a yearbook class, and the moment the camera touched my hands, it was like another world,” said Witter. “To the point that, when I became a veteran, everyone knew me as the camera guy. I even made a ‘best wishes’ video for the veterans, with all of them saying their last words and what their plans were for the future. “
One of his goals in doing “My Biggest Fear” was to help his kids not to fear the cops, and Witter said he thinks the film helped his kids in that regard.
“I was trying to show them different angles and different sides of the story,” which culminates in the policeman returning to his family at the end of the shift, said Witter.
Making the film was a fun experience of bonding for him and the children, and now the children are presenting their own ideas for films.
The second screening “means a lot” to Witter, especially since it was his first attempt at making a film.
“I didn’t expect to get this far, just because it was my first,” he said. “I just wanted to spread the word and get people to have this conversation, see what I wrote and hear what I have to say. That was more of the essence, in addition to explaining to my children. “
With his $ 5,000 prize, Witter plans to start a video production company called AW Smash Productions and hopes to update his equipment.
“I enjoyed making that video and bringing my vision to life,” he said. “So helping other people bring their vision to life would be even more exciting for me.”
He started working on another film, “Life Choices”, which he plans to upload to Facebook and YouTube in February.
To watch “My Biggest Fear”, go to https://engageart.org/showcase/my-biggest-fear.