The Dr. Haing S. Ngor documentary has been awarded a production grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities. “This award, along with previous support, encourages us to acknowledge that Dr. Ngor’s story is timeless and a chapter of contemporary history that speaks to us today. The NEH grant will bring our documentary to completion – we plan to finish up by the end of 2014!” said producer Arthur Dong. NEH press release:http://www.neh.gov/news/press-release/2013-12-02.
The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor, a new film from Arthur Dong, is now under way for a Fall 2014 release. The feature-length documentary will examine the period before, during, and after the Khmer Rouge’s tyrannical rule over Cambodia as seen through the eyes of Dr. Haing S. Ngor. Dr. Ngor escaped to America and recreated his years of captivity in The Killing Fields, winning an Oscar® for his first film. He became the de facto worldwide ambassador for truth and justice in his homeland, only to be gunned down in Chinatown Los Angeles – a case still muddled with transnational conspiracy theories. Visit the website and follow the progress on Facebook.
For the third time in three years, the Sundance-CNEX Documentary Workshop convened in Beijing, May 2013, preceded by a day-long forum and summit on the state of documentaries in China. Over the week, Chinese filmmakers received creative feedback on their projects from advisors Jen Arnold, Arthur Dong, Sandi Dubowski, Beadie Finzi, Cara Mertes, and Jeff Orolowski. More info.
Cal Humanities California Documentary Project (CDP) awarded two separate awards to The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor: a research and development grant and aproduction grant. Since 2003, CDP has awarded over $3 million to projects that document the California experience and explore issues of significance to Californians.
The Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program and Fund/John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative awarded a production grant toThe Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor. The award issupported by a multi-year partnership between the Sundance Institute and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The organizations believe their unique collaboration – with its robust network of resources, creativity, and capacities – enhances knowledge and awareness regarding critical issues.
As a part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Bridging Cultures initiative – which encourages projects that explore the ways in which cultures from around the globe have influenced American society – a research and development grant has been awarded to The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor. Read more.
The Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Lab took place at Skywalker Ranch in June 2013. This is the first time the two organizations worked together and marks a significant expansion of the Institute’s existing Composers Labs to include sound design. Pictured: creative advisor, Arthur Dong, and lab fellows, Judith Ehrlich, Miles Jay, and Thomas Allen Harris. Read more.
DeepFocus Productions is please to present The Arthur Dong Catalogue, an illustrated brochure listing Dong’s awarding-winning films for sale.
Learn more about the new DVD releases, Stories from Chinese America: the Arthur Dong Collection, Vol. 2 and A Toisan Trilogy. The full-color, 4-page publication also features details on the new 2-disc Hollywood Chinese Collector’s Edition DVD, as well as the popular Forbidden City, U.S.A. and Dong’s first box-set, Stories from the War on Homosexuality: the Arthur Dong Collection, Vol. 1.
The San Francisco Main Public Library has scheduled a new exhibition that will show the phenomena and glamour of Chinese American nightclubs, ca. 1936-1965. The idea was inspired by the documentary, Forbidden City, U.S.A, and will be curated by filmmaker Arthur Dong, who will showcase pieces from his extensive epherma collection that stemmed from his research on the subject. A lavish, fully illustrated companion book will also be published. The exhibition and publication are slated for April 2014.
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Reporter Suzanne Kai caught up with director Arthur Dong to discuss his new projects and the filmmaking craft. Read the full interview.
