Licensed to Kill screens December 14, 2021 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures’s final program of “Sound Off: A Celebration of Women Composers.” For composer Miriam Cutler, “This is the film and filmmaker that changed the course of my composing career.” The evening’s moderator Kimberly Peirce said “I will discuss the making of the movie, it’s score by Miriam Cutler and it’s profound influence on my movie Boys Don’t Cry.” Tickets: https://www.academymuseum.org/…/licensed-to-kill…
News
Academy Museum Launched
The Los Angeles-based Academy Museum has opened to critical and popular acclaim. “Movie Museum Rethinks Exhibitions in Response to a Changing World,” reports the New York Times. Since 2017, Arthur Dong has served on the museum’s Inclusion Advisory Committee to help develop curatorial, programming, educational, and public engagement content. Pictured: Arthur stands by his quote on display in the “Future of Cinema” installation.
The Queer Review Interview
Writer James Kleinmann explores the personal and artistic processes behind the films in the Criteron Channel retrospective, “Stories of Resistance: Documentaries by Arthur Dong.” Read more.
Film Preservation & Presentation
“Do I now change my artistic vision that I had 25 years ago?”—Arthur Dong. The Center for Asian American Media reports on the filmmaker’s efforts to preserve and present films for his Criterion Channel retrospective.
SF State Alum Recalls Student Days
To mark the Criterion Channel’s retrospective of seven films by Arthur Dong, San Francisco State University catches up with the 2007 Alumnus of the Year recipient. Read the article here.
Family Fundamentals: Brett Mathews Remembered
Brett Mathews passed away suddenly on August 24, 2021. He’s pictured above on the far right, with Brian Bennett in the middle, at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Family Fundamentals. The documentary profiled conservative Christian families with LGBTQ kids and profiled both in the film. Read more about Brett in the Salt Lake Tribune feature story that chronicled his struggle for family acceptance and his stance against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Forbidden City, USA Re-Mix
Sound specialist Joe Milner of Puget Sound re-mixed Arthur Dong’s landmark film Forbidden City, USA during a virtual session under the filmmaker’s supervision. In lieu of re-newing costly music licenses, cues were extracted via digital audio isolation while retaining the dialogue, and new music was laid. The film was digitally restored in 2015 by UCLA Film and Television Archive from original negatives. Read more about Dong’s entire film and video collection at UCLA FTVA here.
Sewing Woman Restoration
Arthur Dong’s Oscar@-nominated film Sewing Woman is undergoing a 4K digital restoration by UCLA Film and Television Archive. Pictured is colorist and digital lab manager Randy Yantek at the archive’s Santa Clarita facilities. Read more about Dong’s entire film and video collection at UCLA FTVA here.
Anna May Wong Screening
July 22-August 5: Tune-in to Academy Museum of Motion Pictures‘s virtual screenings of Anna May Wong’s Piccadilly, followed by personal reflections from Anna May Wong’s niece, and a conversation between Hollywood Chinese filmmaker/author Arthur Dong and Jacqueline Stewart, the museum’s Chief Artistic and Programming Officer.
KTLA: Hollywood Chinese & Anna May Wong
KTLA TV Morning News featured Arthur Dong discussing his book Hollywood Chinese, Anna May Wong and his Hollywood Chinese exhibit at the Formosa Cafe. Watch the three mini-segments streaming online here.