Mario Van Peebles on We The Party

Watch "We the Party" on Dec. 19 at 8P/7C!

Mario Van Peebles: Ambassador to the Youth - Being the son of a famous filmmaker can be a gift and a curse. But for Mario Van Peebles (son of Melvin), it has only become a greater gift with each year. With his own legacy considered an extension of his fathers', it's easy to see why Van Peebles is able to identify with the youth. BET.com spoke to the esteemed director and actor about his recent movie, We the Party, which premieres on BET Star Cinema on December 19 at 8P/7C! (Photo: Courtesy of Mario Van Peebles)

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Mario Van Peebles: Ambassador to the Youth - Being the son of a famous filmmaker can be a gift and a curse. But for Mario Van Peebles (son of Melvin), it has only become a greater gift with each year. With his own legacy considered an extension of his fathers', it's easy to see why Van Peebles is able to identify with the youth. BET.com spoke to the esteemed director and actor about his recent movie, We the Party, which premieres on BET Star Cinema on December 19 at 8P/7C! (Photo: Courtesy of Mario Van Peebles)

Some of the scenes in We The Party are shot in your home. What was it like to be “on location” in your own personal territory?  - A. "We have a basketball court in the backyard, Snoop’s got game and he was playing against YG, and then the New Boyz got in. During the filming, lots of the actors were crashing at our house when we shot late. It was like camp, a house party and Take Your Kids to Work Day all summer long rolled into one. Mad fun. I guess I was the camp counselor."(Photo: Mike Radiloff / Xlrator Media)

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Some of the scenes in We The Party are shot in your home. What was it like to be “on location” in your own personal territory?  - A. "We have a basketball court in the backyard, Snoop’s got game and he was playing against YG, and then the New Boyz got in. During the filming, lots of the actors were crashing at our house when we shot late. It was like camp, a house party and Take Your Kids to Work Day all summer long rolled into one. Mad fun. I guess I was the camp counselor."(Photo: Mike Radiloff / Xlrator Media)

How has directing this film changed the dynamics of parenting for you? - A. "When your kids become teenagers, their peer group can start to outweigh the family group. In effect, when I cast the movie, I got to cast their peer group for a summer. My poor kids had to listen to their dad at home and then as their director on the set. I tricked them and kept myself relevant in their lives for an extra year or two. They became bilingual, we have always been playful at home and now they were getting a chance to learn the Van Peebles family work ethic on the job."  (Photo: Courtesy of Mario Van Peebles)

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How has directing this film changed the dynamics of parenting for you? - A. "When your kids become teenagers, their peer group can start to outweigh the family group. In effect, when I cast the movie, I got to cast their peer group for a summer. My poor kids had to listen to their dad at home and then as their director on the set. I tricked them and kept myself relevant in their lives for an extra year or two. They became bilingual, we have always been playful at home and now they were getting a chance to learn the Van Peebles family work ethic on the job."  (Photo: Courtesy of Mario Van Peebles)

Why was music such an integral part of this movie? - A. "When I first came up with the idea for We the Party, I knew music would have to be a huge component; and it had to be legit. My teenagers swagged me out in a 'snapback' and skinny jeans and I went with them 'incognegro' to the hottest all age underground hip-hop spots. We heard the New Boyz, YG, Pink Dollaz, The Rej3ctz, and of course the dog father Snoop. To top it off, we cast them all in the movie! A lot of people are moved by YG'€™s performance of the song 'Success' in the film. I wrote that song especially for his character; you can check out the video on YouTube."(Photo: Mike Radiloff / Xlrator Media)

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Why was music such an integral part of this movie? - A. "When I first came up with the idea for We the Party, I knew music would have to be a huge component; and it had to be legit. My teenagers swagged me out in a 'snapback' and skinny jeans and I went with them 'incognegro' to the hottest all age underground hip-hop spots. We heard the New Boyz, YG, Pink Dollaz, The Rej3ctz, and of course the dog father Snoop. To top it off, we cast them all in the movie! A lot of people are moved by YG'€™s performance of the song 'Success' in the film. I wrote that song especially for his character; you can check out the video on YouTube."(Photo: Mike Radiloff / Xlrator Media)

We The Party dives into the challenges and decisions teenagers face in high school. What message do you hope teens will take away from this film as they matriculate into the real world?  - A. "You can make a movie about the way you want things to be, or you can make a movie about the way things really are. Kids keep telling us how authentic We the Party is. It’s the way young folks really talk, party, hustle and fall in love. On the other hand, adults often comment on how relevant the film’s messages are even for them. Today’s youth are dealing with some serious challenges; from hyper-materialism to hypersexuality, bullying and peer pressure. One of the biggest messages audiences walk away with is that you cant always buy your sense of self at the mall. Malcolm, Martin, Mother Theresa and Ghandi were all people we respected deeply because of what they stood for; not for ...

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We The Party dives into the challenges and decisions teenagers face in high school. What message do you hope teens will take away from this film as they matriculate into the real world?  - A. "You can make a movie about the way you want things to be, or you can make a movie about the way things really are. Kids keep telling us how authentic We the Party is. It’s the way young folks really talk, party, hustle and fall in love. On the other hand, adults often comment on how relevant the film’s messages are even for them. Today’s youth are dealing with some serious challenges; from hyper-materialism to hypersexuality, bullying and peer pressure. One of the biggest messages audiences walk away with is that you cant always buy your sense of self at the mall. Malcolm, Martin, Mother Theresa and Ghandi were all people we respected deeply because of what they stood for; not for ...

2012 was such a big year for you. What do you have in store for 2013? - A. "2012 was huge for our family, after getting the movie in theatres my three big kids went off to college. Then I got a call from the Obama Campaign to be a surrogate for our president in the swing state of Florida. My son Makaylo plays a student nicknamed Obama in We the Party. My eldest daughter Maya plays a prom queen named Michelle. And my son Mandela who is named after President Nelson Mandela plays my son in the film. It only seemed right with all these political names that I invite the kids to come along and help as well. \rIn Florida, we spoke at churches, knocked on doors and handed out food and water to people waiting in five to eight hour lines just to vote. The kids saw first hand that even though it’s our constitutional right as citizens to vote, people will sometimes try to discourage you. Dem...

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2012 was such a big year for you. What do you have in store for 2013? - A. "2012 was huge for our family, after getting the movie in theatres my three big kids went off to college. Then I got a call from the Obama Campaign to be a surrogate for our president in the swing state of Florida. My son Makaylo plays a student nicknamed Obama in We the Party. My eldest daughter Maya plays a prom queen named Michelle. And my son Mandela who is named after President Nelson Mandela plays my son in the film. It only seemed right with all these political names that I invite the kids to come along and help as well. \rIn Florida, we spoke at churches, knocked on doors and handed out food and water to people waiting in five to eight hour lines just to vote. The kids saw first hand that even though it’s our constitutional right as citizens to vote, people will sometimes try to discourage you. Dem...