Pioneer African-American Filmmaker Immortalized On Stamps
What:
First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony of the Oscar Micheaux 44-cent Commemorative First-Class stamps. The event is free and open to the public.
When:
11:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Where:
Columbia University School of the Arts
Miller Theatre
2960 Broadway & 116th Street
New York, NY 10199-6950
Who:
Wycliffe Gordon, Jazz Trombonist
Voza Rivers, Chairman, Harlem Arts Alliance
Jamal Joseph, Chairman, Film Department, Columbia University
Background:
The 33rd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors pioneering filmmaker Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) wrote, directed, produced, and distributed more than 40 movies during the first half of the 20th century. An ambitious, larger-than-life figure, Micheaux thrived at a time when African-American filmmakers were rare, venues for their work were scarce, and support from the industry did not exist. Micheaux’ entrepreneurial spirit and independent vision continue to inspire new generations of filmmakers and artists.
Forgotten after his death, Micheaux was rediscovered in the late 1960s by South Dakota historians and in the 1970s by film historians interested in early black cinema. Although only 15 of his movies are known to have survived in whole or in part, Micheaux has become a cinematic icon. In 1986, he was posthumously awarded a special Directors Guild of America award. In 1995, the Producers Guild of America established the Oscar Micheaux Award to honor “an individual or individuals whose achievements in film and television have been accomplished despite difficult odds.”
# # #
