FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2006
Julie Levak, Director of External Affairs, California Council for the Humanities
(415) 391-1474
jlevak@calhum.org
California Council for the Humanities Awards $400,000 to Film, Radio and Photography Projects to Reveal the Real Stories of Today’s California
California Documentary Projects Explore the Lives of Urban Girls, Chinese Actors, Latino Rock Bands, a Cambodian Rapper and More
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Council for the Humanities announced today the winners of its current California Documentary Project program, which encourages documentarians to capture the enduring images and sounds of contemporary California life. The Council awarded $400,000 to eight projects that will use film, radio and photography to document and share the real stories of Californians and our state. The California Documentary Project is an ongoing program of California Stories, a multiyear initiative designed to connect Californians and foster understanding by uncovering personal and community stories that tell the story of today’s California.
“Documentaries are powerful because they’re both informative and deeply personal,” said James Quay, executive director of the Council. “These projects will open windows into the unseen lives of a diverse group of Californians, bringing both their struggles and their achievements to our attention.”
Recent documentary projects supported by the Council include Following Sean, a new film opening at San Francisco’s Lumiere Theater on Friday, January 13 (www.followingsean.com); Romantico, nominated for two 2005 Independent Spirit Awards; and the Mark Wahlberg-narrated film, Juvies, chronicling the journey of adolescents in the Los Angeles area as they make their way through the criminal justice system.
The following are summaries of the eight different projects that received grant awards:
FILM
- Going On 13 , sponsored by the Film Arts Foundation (Award: $40,000): Oakland producers/directors Kristy Guevara-Flanagan and Dawn Valadez document the dramatic transformation of four urban girls of color. We meet the girls at age nine, when they identify with their families and cartoon characters. Four years later, they are pushing the limits of what is acceptable and discovering the difference between who they are and who they are told they should be. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_going_on_13.htm
- The Chinese in Hollywood Project, sponsored by the Film Arts Foundation (Award: $70,000): Los Angeles producer/director Arthur Dong—Academy Award, Sundance and Peabody winner, and an Emmy nominee—will tell the story of Chinese-American filmmakers who have made their mark in California since 1917. The film will explore how the Chinese have been represented in American film and how contemporary artists struggle to work in film. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_chinese_hollywood.htm
- Chicano Rock!: Rock 'n' Roll & Latino Identity in California, sponsored by the Historical Society of Southern California (Award: $70,000): Producer/director John Wilkman will use storytelling, archival footage, rare photographs, re-creations and actual performances, to tell the little-known story of how locally created rock music defined—and continues to define—California’s Latino community. The film tells its story through the musicians themselves, such as Lalo Guerrero, Thee Midniters, El Chinano, Tierra and Los Lobos. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_chicano_rock.htm
- Thinking Grande: Creating California's Mexican Wonderland, sponsored by the Media Arts Center San Diego (Award: $40,000): San Diego producer/director Kevin Bender’s film will tell the story of Jose Luis Bonilla. The Mexican immigrant and successful businessman became a folk artist in 1983 and worked with great passion for 20 years on his masterpiece: a Mexican village in the heart of California. Unable to finish, he retreated to Mexico but still yearns to finish his “Mexican Disneyland,” which he hopes will be a cultural showcase and bridge between Mexico and California. His California-born children still live at the ranch, tending to the family’s local businesses during the week and, on weekends, dressing in traditional outfits to ride, rope, sing and carry on their father’s work. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_mia_terra.htm
- 100,000 Dalamas, sponsored by the Vietnamese Youth Development Center (Award: $40,000): Through the life and music of a young Cambodian-American rapper, San Francisco producer/director Michael Siv’s documentary will explore California as it evolves. It follows Prach Ly’s personal history and identity, his home of Long Beach, his recent marriage, his family and community, and his anxieties about the future. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_dalamas.htm
RADIO
- Pastures of Plenty: The History of California Farm Workers, sponsored by the Pataphysical Broadcasting Foundation, Inc. (Award: $40,000): Santa Cruz-area producer Rachel Goodman’s multipart radio documentary will celebrate the rich history of California’s agricultural workers. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_pastures.htm
- Saving the Sierra: Voices of Conservation in Action, sponsored by The Sierra Fund (Award: $80,000): Nevada-based producer Catherine Stifter’s multipart radio documentary will document community-based conservationists working to preserve not only the environment but also the history, culture and economy of California’s Sierra Nevada. Listening workshops, a mobile story booth and a Web site will capture public interaction and dialogue. The first-person stories—without reporter narration—will capture the stories of retired schoolteachers, Republican ranchers, rural youth, middle-aged Sierra Club members, lawyers, loggers and environmental historians as they struggle with Sierra preservation issues. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_saving_sierra.htm
PHOTOGRAPHY AND ORAL HISTORY
- Living Under the Trees, sponsored by California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (Award: $20,000): Berkeley photographer David Bacon will document the contemporary living and working conditions of migrant Oaxacan farm workers. Often invisible—they have been forced to relocate their makeshift tent dwellings out of sight—these workers have created encampments throughout the state. The examination of immigrants creating community under such challenging conditions will foster greater understanding of these new Californians and make their stories more visible. http://www.californiastories.org/programs/doc_oaxacan.htm
The deadline for the next round of grants for the California Documentary Project is October 2, 2006. The guidelines will be posted on May 1 at www.californiastories.org.
The California Documentary Project is supported through a partnership between the California Council for the Humanities and the New York-based Skirball Foundation.
About the California Council for the Humanities
The mission of the California Council for the Humanities is to enrich California's cultural life and strengthen communities through public use of the humanities. A state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Council has supported and created programs that bring Californians together around their history and culture for more than 25 years. For more information, visit www.californiastories.org or contact the Council's administrative office at (415) 391-1474.
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