“HOLLYWOOD CHINESE” SELECTED FOR ACADEMY’S MEDIA LITERACY PROGRAM
"Hollywood Chinese” has been selected as a program of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Media Literacy Program. In partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Urban Educational Partnership’s Humanitas program, the Media Literacy Program is conducted twice a year for high school juniors to increase student awareness of the role of media in their lives and in creating stereotypes, to hone analytical tools for evaluating media messages, and to encourage more provocative interaction with the media. Hollywood Chinese will be presented on November 13, 2008 to 300-400 high school students, followed by a discussion with director Arthur Dong and talent from the film. NOTE: this is not a public screening. For more information, click here.
To see photos of the event, click here.
ARTHUR DONG RECEIVES PIONEER AWARD
The Organization of Chinese Americans has honored Arthur Dong with its 2008 OCA Pioneer Award which recognizes Asian Pacific Americans who are trailblazers from the APA community. The award will be presented at a black-tie gala on August 2, 2008 at the OCA’s 35th Anniversary Celebration in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.ocanational.org.
WHAT’S UP DOC?
Film Independent’s Filmmaker Forum (FIND) was held at the DGA’s Los Angeles theatre complex from September 26-28, 2008. The theme for the weekend event was A Brave New World, and featured panels that addressed all aspects of low budget independent filmmaking, from development through distribution, for both feature and documentary filmmakers. The panel discussion, What’s Up Doc?, took a look at the new face of theatrical documentaries. The panel featured Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), Freida Lee Mock, (Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner), Marina Zenovich, (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired); and indie producer/director Arthur Dong (Hollywood Chinese) in a conversation moderated by International Documentary Association (IDA) Executive Director Eddie Schmidt. For more information, please visit www.filmindependent.org
A DIVERSITY OF VOICES
Through a new collaboration with the California Council for the Humanities, the Los Angeles Natural History Museum is presenting a program of documentary films from the CCH California Stories project. Selected films tell compelling stories that explore the dynamics of culture, identity and civic engagement in California. The day-long program will take place on June 8, 2008, 10am – 5pm, at the Natural History Museum. Arthur Dong will present excerpts from his latest film, Hollywood Chinese, at 11am. For more information and a complete schedule, call (213) 763-3272 or visit www.nhm.org/weekends.
NO STRAIGHT LINES: FINDING YOUR VOICE
Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design presents a panel of artists and designers that have mastered their craft, and in doing so, have found their voice. The panel–moderated by Shannon Kelley, Artistic Director at at Morella International Film Festival–includes Arthur Dong (Hollywood Chinese), Stephen Israel (Lez Be Friends, Boy Culture), Monte Blair Bramer (Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer’s End), and Cheryl Dunye (Stranger Inside). Sponsored by Out Network (Art Center’s student, faculty, staff and alumni organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender persons), the Film Department, and the Office of Student Life. The evening begins with a reception at 6:30pm, May 29, 2008, at the Ahmanson Auditorium at the Art Center College of Design. For more information, email studentlife@artcenter.edu.
"THE HOLLYWOOD CHINESE FILM SERIES" AT THE EGYPTIAN THEATER HAS BEEN CANCELLED
Please visit our Screenings page for information about current Hollywood Chinese showings.
ARTHUR DONG TO RECEIVE HISTORYMAKER AWARD
The Los Angeles-based Chinese American Museum has selected Arthur Dong for its Excellence in Film Historymaker Award. Scheduled for September 7,2008, CAM’s annual Historymakers Awards Banquet honors those who have made an impact on the Chinese American Community. For more information, please visit www.camla.org
INVESTING IN ARTISTS GRANT 
The Center for Cultural Innovation awarded an Investing in Artists grants to Arthur Dong.Launched in June 2007, the Investing in Artists grants program is uniquely designed to enhance the working lives and creative environment for California artists by funding tools and market strategies that will allow them to create their best work more consistently, and distribute that work more broadly to new audiences. For more information, please visit www.cciarts.org
THE CURSE OF QUON GWON DAY
April 12, 2008 has been proclaimed "The Curse of Quon Gwon Day" by the Mayor’s Office of Oakland to honor the historic 1917 film, The Curse of Quon Gwon, produced and shot in Oakland. The proclamation will be presented to surviving family members of the original filmmakers who will be in attendance at the Grand Lake Theater, April 12, at the 7:15pm screening of Hollywood Chinese.
SCENES FROM HOLLYWOOD CHINESE
Arthur Dong, filmmaker and 2007 SF State University Alumnus of the Year, will present clips from his latest documentary, Hollywood Chinese, on April 10, 8pm, at San Francisco State University, August Coppola Theatre (Fine Arts building). The event is free and sponsored by the Cinema Department, College of Creative Arts, Asian American Studies Department and College of Ethnic Studies. Call 415/338-1629 for more information.
ARTHUR DONG VISITING ARTIST IN HONG KONG
As part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Visiting Artist Program, filmmaker Arthur Dong will visit Hong Kong in March 2008 to lecture and screen his latest documentary, Hollywood Chinese. Stops are scheduled at the Hong Kong International Film Festival (www.hkiff.org.hk), and the University of Hong Kong (www.hku.hk) (lecture only).
Dong’s visit was also underwritten by the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong.
“HOLLYWOOD CHINESE” WINS GOLDEN HORSE AWARD
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE captured the Best Documentary Award at the Golden Horse Awards on December 8, 2007. Considered the Chinese equivalent of the Oscars®,” The Golden Horse Awards are the most prestigious honors in Asia for Chinese-language cinema, covering categories modeled after those for the Academy Awards®. Although HOLLYWOOD CHINESE is not technically a Chinese-language film, its subject matter, cast, and crew qualified it for awards consideration. The feature-length film was also screened as one of two opening night films at the 44th Golden Horse International Film Festival that culminated in the star-studded awards ceremony.
HOLLYWOOD CHINESE director Arthur Dong comments: “My experience at the Golden Horse events was extraordinary. To begin with, to be the first documentary ever selected to open the festival was a strong message to Asia and Chinese-speaking audiences that documentaries are a genre that’s not only important but also entertaining. And then, for jurors to recognize a Chinese American production with an award for films traditionally from Asia was an honor that I’m personally proud of — I’ve known about the Golden Horse since I was a kid growing up in San Francisco Chinatown and never imagined I’d actually receive one myself!”
For a complete list of Golden Horse winners, please visit www.goldenhorse.org.tw/gh_main/gh/gh-e-5.aspx
VOICINGS: LICENSED TO KILL
Voicings 2008 presents a special screening of Licensed to Kill to be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Arthur Dong. Sponsored by Minnesota’s St. Cloud State University, Voicings 2008 is a combination fine arts festival and scholarly symposium that explores the social ramifications of language. The program is free and open to the public and scheduled for April 8, 7pm at the Paramount Theatre. For more information, please visit www.stcloudstate.edu/voicings
HENRY HAMPTON AWARD
Hollywood Chinese has been awarded the Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film & Digital Media by the Council on Foundations. The prize celebrates film and video projects funded partially or wholly by foundations, and will be presented at the Council on Foundation’s Film & Video Festival in May 2008. This festival is held in conjunction with COF’s annual conference where foundation leaders from every corner of philanthropy gather.
For more information, please visit www.cof.org/Network/summit/videoFestivalSchedule.cfm