Our Chinatown

DEAR CORKY: a fifteen minute short (tentative title)

Corky Lee, the undisputed, unofficial photographer of the Asian American community in New York City, was a pillar in the community for the past fifty years. Sadly, he passed away from COVID in January 2020. We were fortunate enough to spend time with him as he continued to document our community's struggles. This short offers a personal insight into the man, activist, and artist, revealing a side he rarely shows in public.

Right now, we need funds to help:
- complete the editing
- working with a composer (who we just brought on)
- graphic design and main titles
- color correction
- sound correction
- translation/subtitles
- miscellaneous administrative costs
- marketing, including social media and film festivals

This short is part of a series known as Our Chinatown. Any additional funds we raise will go towards supporting the series.

OUR CHINATOWN: the series
For many Asian Americans, Chinatowns were the start of their families' American journeys. What began as segregated communities created to battle the discrimination and isolation they faced became places of essential support and services. It was where these immigrants first felt safe and at home. But many of the oldest Chinatowns are now threatened by gentrification, aging populations, and assimilation, as well as a deadly pandemic that was unfairly associated with the community, and the accompanying racism and hate crimes.

This series of documentary shorts pays tribute to the heroes in our community, the people who devote their lives to preserving these essential enclaves. Additional stories will feature heroes from Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The shorts will be collected together under the banner, "Our Chinatown."

DONATION LEVELS

$2,500 to $4,999 - One-hour zoom session with director + all rewards below.

$1,000 to $2,499 - Digital download of the film when completed + all rewards below.

$100 to $999 - Acknowledgement at the end of each short, as well as the collected series + all rewards below.

$50 to $99 - Acknowledgement on our official website.

THE TEAM

Curtis Chin, Director/Producer/Co-Writer/

Kenneth Eng, Editor/Director of Photography/Producer

Adam Wolman, Producer/Co-Writer

Matthew Wang, Composer

Cynthia Lin, Executive Producer

Currently in post-production.