Synopsis:

This short film with a long title is a Hip Hop twist on a classic cautionary tale starts with an adventurous little boy getting lost on the wrong side of town. Childhood labor and public safety may sound like heavy topics, but they’re presented in an approachable manner in this timely and important project.

Review by Andie Karvelis:

It’s not every day you see an independent animated film that is so flawlessly done, you think a major studio is behind it. Sony, Pixar and DreamWorks should be envious of the sheer brilliance that is Venus Jones. She is the powerhouse behind Lil’ RED is RIDING the wrong way in the HOOD.

Venus Jones wrote, produced, directed and performed the narrative in this cautionary tale with a modern twist. Most of us are familiar with the original Little Red Riding Hood but this is such a clever adaptation. It tackles some serious topics in an approachable way while creating a story that is relevant to today. The rhymes within the narrative are so ingeniously crafted and performed by Venus, it immediately hooks you.

The animation and illustrative team consisting of Mutai Emmanuel, Stanley Munyiri and Ian Mburu gave this film a hip style. They found the balance between fun and serious with the art style and color scheme. Malcolm Lee provided the music and it was so perfect.

Getting any film to be entertaining and educational is a challenge but this one absolutely nails it. I’m going to go out on a limb here because this film was so sensational. I would love to see Venus Jones and her team make this the first film in a series because I think children (and adults) can definitely benefit from watching it.