8$ is a series which occasionally highlights interesting crowdfunding projects. Every day, the 8Asians team is inundated by many worthy pitches. We are unable to highlight every one that comes our way, or even the ones we might individually support. The projects selected for 8$ are not endorsements by 8Asians. (To be considered for 8$, we highly suggest you not harass the writers or the editors of 8Asians.)
WHO: Director Steven De Castro and www.discoverfredho.org
WHAT: Indiegogo project: Jazz, Cancer, and Life: Fred Ho’s Last Year, A Feature Documentary
What would you do if you had only one year to live? Follow award-winning Asian American author and avante garde jazz composer Fred Ho on an unbelievable year as he fights cancer, leads orchestras, holds talks, leads protests, publishes books, and even produces his magnum opus: an elaborate, manga-inspired samurai opera on a New York stage.
WHEN: Deadline to contribute is Tuesday, December 31, 2013 (11:59pm PT).
WHY:
Fred says that on the day he got his cancer diagnosis, “The old Fred Ho died. The next day, the new Fred Ho was born.” I lost both my mother and my father to cancer, and when I discovered Fred’s story I knew that this movie had to be made.
In this documentary, I follow award-winning Asian American jazz saxophonist and composer Fred Ho on an incredible year as he battles cancer, leads his orchestra, launches books, and mounts his magnum opus: a samurai jazz opera for the New York stage.
In 2013, we shot the movie. In 2014, we will screen the movie.
Your contributions have already allowed this film to be submitted to film festivals all over the world. Now we need your end-of-year contribution to take this film to wrap up post-production, present it to the Asian American Studies Conference in San Francisco, and book it into theaters
