“Icons Among Us” 2009 AFIfest & Project 20/20

"Icons Among Us" team

I just returned from an 8-day trip to LA for the “Icons Among Us : jazz in a present tense” screening.  “Icons” was selected for the 2009 AFIfest, as well as the amazing cultural exchange program for filmmakers and their films, “Project 20/20.”  For 20/20, i spent the week going through the filmmaker orientation, which brings together the small group of this year’s filmmakers for the first time.  As one of the director’s of the film, i am honored to be a part of such an extraordinary program.  To better explain, here is the description as listed on 20/20’s website

Marking its fourth year, AFI PROJECT: 20/20 is an American Film Institute international initiative designed to enhance cultural exchange and understanding, by bringing together filmmakers and their films from the US and abroad.

AFI PROJECT: 20/20 represents an unprecedented cultural diplomacy effort that is supported by the U.S.’s cultural agencies–the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)– and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in concert with U.S. Embassies and domestic presenting institutions. AFI FEST and the other venues and countries participating in AFI PROJECT: 20/20 provide an arena for American and International cultural voices to be heard and seen, creating learning opportunities for audiences and artists alike.

The U.S. and international filmmakers invited to participate in AFI PROJECT: 20/20 are unique. Their films often explore themes and stories not usually told by commercial films and by participating in discussions, workshops and other activities around their films, the filmmakers are cultural ambassadors that bring other perspectives on America to foreign audiences and vice versa. Movies allow 20/20 to fulfill its purpose of engaging audiences beyond language and borders, to reveal both a respect for differences and a shared humanity among cultures.

As you should be able to tell from reading the description,  this program is unlike any other program in America for filmmakers like myself.  I am truly honored to be a participate this year.  As part of the 20/20 program, “Icons Among Us” will be showing in Tunisia in the upcoming weeks! More infor will be posted as we receive it.

We had a chance to rock the Hollywood red carpet prior to the AFIfest screening of “Icons” at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.  The historic and beautiful room has a special feel to it the second you step foot inside and we immediately knew it would be just as special of a screening for IAU.  The screen is so beautiful, as well as massive.  It was truly a unique experience to watch the theatrical version of “Icons” projecting out in front of us in such a historic “temple to film.”   As listed on the Grauman’s website :

The theatre rises 90-feet high and two gigantic coral red columns topped by wrought iron masks hold aloft the bronze roof. Between the columns is a 30-foot high dragon carved from stone. Guarding the theatre entrance to this day are the two original giant Heaven Dogs brought from China.

Needless to say, it was a historic moment for “Icons Among Us : jazz in the present tense.”  One that we will always remember…