Forbidden City, U.S.A. Collector’s Edition DVD featured in exhibit on Chinese American Nightclubs
Visitors to the New York City’s Museum of Chinese in the America exhibit, "Gotta Sing Gotta Dance!" can tour excerpts of the newly released DVD Collector’s Edition of Forbidden City, U.S.A. at a special display station. "Gotta Sing Gotta Dance!" is a multi-media look at the pioneering entertainers who broke with tradition, defied mainstream expectations, and opened doors for successive generations of Asian American performing artists, as it casts the spotlight on Chinese American nightclub performers of the 1930s-50s.
Exhibit dates: Extended by popular demand to August 10, 2003!
Museum of Chinese in the Americas
70 Mulberry St., 2nd floor, Manhattan
212/619-4785, info@moca-nyc.org, www.moca-nyc.org
Forbidden City, U.S.A. DVD Debuts on November 12:
Documentary remembers the "Chinese Cotton Club" that inspired Flower Drum Song
Arthur Dong’s Forbidden City, U.S.A. debuts in a DVD Collector’s Edition on November 12. This special release is packed with over 20 minutes of never before seen footage and a fabulous collection of more than 200 pieces of memorabilia and photographs. Extra features include: Performance Outtakes, 1940s Promotional Film, Full Color Bonus Featurette, Additional Interviews, Gallery of Entertainers, Scrapbook of Memorabilia, 8-page Color Booklet, Historical Essay, Production Notes, Reading List…and a few surprises!
Arthur Dong Elected to Represent AMPAS Doc Branch
Arthur Dong and Michael Apted have been elected by the members of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to join Frieda Lee Mock in representing them on the organization’s Board of Governors. The Board voted in June to grant the year-old Documentary Branch a full complement of three governors. When the Documentary Branch was created in January 2001 it was represented on the Academy’s Board by a single governor, Mock, who was elected to a three-year term. A special election was conducted over the past two months to nominate and elect the two new governors.
For more information:
www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2002/02.07.30.a.html
National Faith Leadership Project
"Family Fundamentals" and filmmaker Arthur Dong have been invited to the National Faith Leadership Project. Funded by the Gill Foundation, this invitation-only conference will bring together 25 nationally recognized leaders from varying faith communities, representing a diversity of programming and issues, to engage in customized, world-class leadership training and to create constructive public dialogue about gay and lesbian issues within the context of their faith. The showing of "Family Fundamentals" will serve as the kickoff event for the 3-day summit and will take place at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. on July 31, 2002.
For more information:
www.gillfoundation.org/projects/projects_list.htm?attrib_id=5173
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Honors
For his film, Coming Out Under Fire, which documented the military’s World War II policies on gays in the military, Arthur Dong will be honored at the Service Members Legal Defense Network’s 10th Annual ‘End the Witch Hunts’ Reception, Dinner & Auction, October 23rd, 2002 @ The Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C. SLDN is dedicated to ending witch hunts, death threats, imprisonment, lesbian-baiting, discharges and other discriminatory actions against men and women in the military harmed by ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue, Don’t Harass,’ and related policies, through direct legal assistance, watchdog activities, policy work, outreach and education, and litigation support.
For more information: www.sldn.org/templates/events/record.html?section=&record=32
Peabody Festival Award
The Peabody Festival in Portland, Maine awarded "Family Fundamentals" the Jury Award for Socially Conscious Cinema.
Durfee Foundation
The Durfee Foundation has awarded an Artist’s Resource for Completion (ARC) grant to help defray expenses for a 35mm transfer of Family Fundamentals.
For more information: www.durfee.org.