Filmmaker Arthur Dong’s pioneering work over the past forty years was featured in the Spring issue of Film Quarterly in their special dossier on Asian American film. Download Dong’s interview by Oliver Wang here.
Due to Covid-19 pre-cautions and regulations, our Spring 2020 Hollywood Chinese book events scheduled for March, April, and May have been cancelled. We hope to re-book these events in the future.
Screening Reality: How Documentary Filmmakers Re-imagined America, Jon Wilkman’s comprehensive book chronicling the history of documentaries, included a profile and discussion on Arthur Dong’s films that covered Asian American and LGBTQ stories. In her review of the book for Documentary Magazine, Cynthia Close notes: “The fearless portrayals of the LGTBQ community from Marlon T. Riggs and Arthur Dong are yet another example of the growing acceptance of certain subjects unheard of in the not-so-distant past.” Pictured below is a page from the book featuring Dong and cinematographer Stephen Lighthill on the set of Coming Out Under Fire.
“Put on some music from the 1930s and 1940s, and step into the intoxicating and magical world of the Chinese American nightclub scene. Enjoy!” –Lisa See
Forbidden City, USA reveals stories of sassy and daring entertainers from a golden era of Chinatown nightclubs in San Francisco Chinatown. Inspiring personal journeys and stunning images of Asian American performers who defied barriers to pursue showbiz dreams — now in print, VOD and DVD. Winner: the American Book Award.
Advocate Magazine selected Hollywood Chinese as one of “5 Books to Read on World AIDS Day” 2019. Diane Anderson-Minshall writes: “Gay author and filmmaker Arthur Dong had two amazing ’90s LGBTQ documentaries, Coming Out Under Fire and Licensed to Kill. His latest project delves into the treatment and portrayal of Chinese people in American film. The book, Hollywood Chinese, takes an honest and intimate look at the Chinese influence in Hollywood.”
West Hollywood’s legendary Formosa Cafe celebrated the launch of Arthur Dong’s new book Hollywood Chinese on October 22, 2019. Friends and colleagues partied at the Yee Mee Loo dining room where Arthur’s exhibition on the Chinese in Hollywood was on display. Pictured with Arthur are his publishers Scott McCauley and Paddy Calistro of Angel City Press. Photo by O.C. Lee. See more party photos here.
Journalist Ben Fong-Torres conducted a spirited on-stage conversation with author Arthur Dong at the San Francisco Hollywood Chinese book launch. Presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) on October 20, 2019, a standing-room-only audience of 250+ filled the Koret Auditorium at the San Francisco Public Library. Photo by Frank Jang. See more event photos here.
A standing-room-only audience welcomed Arthur Dong’s newest book Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films on October 17, 2019 in Beverly Hills. The event, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science at their Margaret Herrick Library, was highlighted by a lively conversation with the panelists pictured above, from left: James Hong, Arthur Dong, Nancy Kwan, B.D. Wong, and Lisa Lu. Photo by Alan Duigan, courtesy of A.M.P.A.S. See more event photos here.
The California LGBT Arts Alliance honored Arthur Dong with its inaugural Trailblazer Award. The organization is a network of over 1,000 artists and 70 non-profit arts organizations working to promote artistic collaborations. Executive director Dante Alencastre said: “We hold you in high regard as an artist with qualities that personify our tenets of social justice, culture equity and preservation of queer history.” Pictured, from left: Dante Alencastre, Arthur Dong, and founder Greg Day.
Hollywood Chinese at the Formosa offers a nostalgic, yet thought-provoking look into cinema’s fascination with the Chinese. Commissioned by the legendary Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood, the exhibit highlights photos and lobby cards from Arthur Dong’s collection of movie memorabilia depicting the Chinese in American feature films. Photo by Max Shapovalov.
