OutProfessionals and the Jewish Community Center sponsor screening of HOW DO I LOOK

Rare Dancing Performance by Voguing Legends

More than 10 years in the making, How Do I Look offers an intimate look inside the Balls. Downtown stars Kevin Aviance, Michael Musto and Patricia Field also dish about the scene. You'll also get the inside dirt on members of 'Houses' whose talents led them to work with superstars like Madonna, Queen Latifah, India, and fashion designer Thierry Mugler. Dancer and choreographer Jose Xtravaganza's tales of working with Madonna on the Vogue and Truth or Dare videos are especially priceless.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. Special live performance by the House of Ninja begins at 6:30PM.

The screening will take place at the Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Auditorium of the JCC in Manhattan at 334 Amsterdam Avenue (at West 76th Street). Attendees must present photo ID to be admitted to the building. By Subway: 2, 3, or 9 to 72nd Street; by Bus: M7 or M11 to West 75th Street. Admission: Non-members, $10. OP or JCC Members, just $5.

Activist Filmmakers meet at Out Professionals Event

'After Stonewall' screening

Out Professionals recently organized a public screening of the landmark documentary, After Stonewall, which was followed by a presentation by documentary filmmaker, John Scagliotti.

Mr. Scagliotti is the award-winning gay filmmaker/journalist, who also created the PBS series In the Life. After Stonewall is narrated by Melissa Etheridge; the film is a fascinating look at women and men who helped shape what gay America looks like -- and how the world sees us.

Pictured below (left to right) are Mr. Scagliotti and the openly-gay filmmaker and activist Wolfgang Busch. The latter, who is also an Out Professionals member, is the film series coordinator for Out Professionals.

Out Professionals is the nation's leading gay and lesbian professional and social network. OP offers workshops, seminars, celebrity lectures, and informal socializing. For more information, please visit the official website for Out Professionals.

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Voguing at Anthology Film Archives

Live dance act opens screening of 'How Do I Look'

The NYC Gay Pride 2008 week screening of the documentary How Do I Look opened with a unique dance performance by the House of Ninja. The screening was held at the Anthology Film Archives, as part of its NewFilmmakers NY Screening Series.

The live mixed-media performance featured voguing and a special video tribute to the late Willi Ninja, choreographer, style coach, and founder of the House of Ninja.

The House of Ninja is a legendary house, which is part of the Harlem Ballroom community. The underground subculture of the house system promotes the use of dance, performance, fashion, and style to promote self achievement and accomplishment. Many pop culture trends found their beginnings at Harlem Balls. The documentary How Do I Look is about these balls.

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'How Do I Look' selected for NewFilmmakers NY Screening Series

Screening will coincide with NYC’s Gay Pride 2008

The award-winning documentary How Do I Look will be screened at the NewFilmmakers NY Screening Series at the Anthology Film Archives in New York on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 -- in the middle of New York City’s Gay Pride 2008. The evening is dedicated to gay and lesbian films.

How Do I Look, by the award-winning director Wolfgang Busch, continues to break new ground. The success of How Do I Look at gay and straight film festivals around the world is being recognized by the selection by the NewFilmmakers NY Film Festival. In making its selection, NewFilmmakers NY is also acknowledging the director and openly gay artistic and social activist Wolfgang Busch as one of the best new directors in the United States.

About the screening

On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, How Do I Look will be screened at 10:45 pm at the Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue (at 2nd Street), New York, NY 10003. Schedule hotline: (212) 505-5181. Prior to the screening, Busch has organized a special 6 minute live performance by the House of Ninja, a famous group of dancers and one of the notable families within the Harlem Ball community. The dance troupe will honor Willi Ninja, the group’s former leader and a legend and icon in the New York City Night Life and the Harlem Ball communities, who passed away in 2006 from complications due to AIDS. How Do I Look (2006, 80 Minutes, Video) will be preceded by Julie Casper Roth’s Tokens (2007, 18 Minutes, Video).

Tickets cost $5.

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New international screening announced for 'How Do I Look' documentary

'How Do I Look' selected for XXIII Black International Cinema Berlin-Warsaw 2008 Film Festival

How Do I Look has been selected by the screening committee of the upcoming XXIII. Black International Cinema Berlin/Warsaw 2008 film festival.

From May 8-12, 2008, the 23rd edition of the Black International Cinema film festival will be screening its selection of "cinema from Africa, the African Diaspora and other films from varied intercultural backgrounds or perspectives."

How Do I Look is about the creative and inspirational Ballroom community of New York City. Centered in Harlem, these modern-day ball competitions can be called the descendants of past drag balls, which trace their origin to the Harlem Renaissance. You know about the Ballroom community from Madonna's music video for "Vogue," from her successful documentary, "Truth or Dare," and from the movie, "Paris is Burning." The artistic mission of How Do I Look blends creativity and social awareness of the impact that art can have on the community:

"How Do I Look is a tool to showcase our talents, brings the Ballroom community together, gain artistic and human respect, provides hands on video production/post production training, improves the quality of life and sends HIV/AIDS awareness messages through the many we lost to AIDS and the ones living with HIV now."

And that artistic mission closely matches the artistic vision of the Black International Cinema film festival:

"The festival focuses on presenting works of an artistic, cultural or political nature coinciding with the general educational, social, artistic and economic interest of people from Africa, the African Diaspora and people with an interest in participating in intercultural communication and the resultant interfacing and sharing of educational, social, artistic and economic resources."

"Black International Cinema Berlin is a yearly interdisciplinary, intercultural film/video festival produced and directed by Fountainhead® Tanz Theatre / Cultural Zephyr e.V. and The Collegium - Forum & Television Program Berlin and screens cinema from Africa, the African Diaspora and other films from varied intercultural backgrounds or perspectives. The festival focuses on presenting cinematic works of an artistic, cultural or political nature coinciding with the shared values of people from Africa, the African Diaspora and people with an interest in intercultural communication and the interfacing and sharing of educational, social, artistic and economic resources."

For program and other information about this film festival, please visit the official Black International Cinema website.

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'How Do I Look' to be screened in New York by NewFilmmakers series during Gay Pride Week

Screening set for 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 at the Anthology Film Archives

NewFilmmakers NY has just announced its Spring 2008 schedule of independent film screenings. And the independent film How Do I Look, an award-winning documentary about the dancers, artists, models, and performers of the Harlem Ball community, has been selected to be screened at the Anthology Film Archives at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.

The film series by NewFilmmakers NY gives new filmmakers the opportunity to screen their films directly to the public. NewFilmmakers features outstanding independent and foreign films, but each film plays only one night.

In the past, NewFilmmakers NY has featured compelling films such as Malcolm McLaren - Not For Sale, directed by Nancy Cohen and Andy Lee, which is about the Sex Pistol's organizer's campaign to become mayor of London, and My Brother's War, directed by Whitney Hamilton, which is loosely based on the director's novel, Firefly.

The Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 Second Ave (at Second Street), New York, NY 10003.

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Buy Tickets to World AIDS Day screening of "How Do I Look"

Ticketweb.com is now selling tickets for the screenings of films during the 15th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival in New York. You can now buy your tickets online for the evening screening on Saturday, Dec. 1 for How Do I Look. The screening will take place at Riverside Theatre in Harlem.

How Do I Look (US, 2006, 80mins) is a documentary directed by Wolfgang Busch. The film is about the Harlem "Ball" community, a group of highly creative dancers and performance artists. Topher Campbell has described How Do I Look as, "Personal. Powerful. Inspirational."

Another special World AIDS Day screening of "How Do I Look"

In connection with the 2007 New York AIDS Film Festival, New York University is hosting a special World AIDS Day screening of How Do I Look directed by Wolfgang Busch, on Saturday, December 1, 2007. A Q&A session with the documentary’s director will follow the screening.

The free screening of How Do I Look will take place from 11 am to 12 pm at New York University at the King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center, 53 Washington Square South, New York City. Admission to attend this special screening is free. Complimentary refreshments will be served.

For more information, please contact the director Wolfgang Busch at: Art From The Heart Films, 718-726-0831 or WolfgangBusch@earthlink.net, www.HowDoILookNYC.org.

About How Do I Look

How Do I Look is an award-winning documentary about the Harlem “Ball” community. This documentary feature originated as a community empowerment project for dancers and artists in the Ball community; it was directed by Wolfgang Busch in collaboration with assistant directors from the “Ball” community: Kevin Omni and Luna Khan. Since its early production, How Do I Look has been screened as a work-in-progress film at many prestigious American universities, such as Yale University, New York University, and Sarah Lawrence College, as part of academic curricula and student-run programs. Because the “Ball” community has been hit hard by the AIDS pandemic, from the outset Mr. Busch included in the final version of How Do I Look important messages from dancers and artists about HIV/AIDS prevention and care. As part of the New York AIDS Film Festival, a special 10-minute segment will be screened from How Do I Look, addressing HIV/AIDS. Featured in the HIV excerpt from the How Do I Look documentary are: Octavia St. Laurent, Kevin Omni, Jose Xtravaganza, Carmen Xtravaganza, Harmonica Sunbeam, Luna Khan, Kevin Aviance, Kenny Ebony, Darryck LaBeija, and Marcel Christian.

About the “Ball” community

The Harlem "Ball" community has been, and continues to be, influential in fashion, music, runway, and dance. The artistry and talent from this community have inspired superstars Madonna, Iman, Marc Jacobs, and RuPaul. Unfortunately, the “Ball” community has been devastated by the AIDS pandemic, resulting in the loss of the community’s leadership. As a community, the dancers and artists from the “Ball” scene continue to fight an uphill battle for artistic and social empowerment.

About the New York AIDS Film Festival

To mark Work AIDS Day this year on December 1, The New York AIDS Film Festival (NYAFF) will provide a series of HIV- and AIDS-related film screenings, panel discussions, and special events. Its mission is to provide the public with information about the disease by sponsoring the screenings of visual media. The New York AIDS Film Festival features diverse works, which serve as educational material about HIV/AIDS. These programs aim to promote social action in the fight against the global AIDS pandemic. In 2006, the New York AIDS Film Festival commemorated the 25th Anniversary of the first diagnosed case of AIDS. Stay tuned for more information about this important film festival.

Podcast Interview with Kevin Ultra Omni at London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

Podcast of Pink Mafia Radio Episode No. 72, May 22, 2007, dedicated to the documentary, How Do I Look.

Coverage of the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival begins with our guest Kevin Ultra Omni founding father of the House of Ultra Omni and Co-Director of How Do I Look. His film is the answer to the questions left by the classic Ball Scene documentary Paris Is Burning. Kevin with Wolfgang Bush and Luna Khan directed this new film with much more input from the people active in the NYC Ball community. To find out more about the film please go to HowDoILookNYC.org.

Click on this link to listen to the podcast interview with Kevin Ultra Omni.

Special Screening of "How Do I Look" on World AIDS Day

For immediate release

November 1st 2007

How Do I Look documentary screening on WORLD AIDS DAY at the Harlem Diaspora Film Festival, Saturday December 1st, 2007 at the Riverside Theatre, 8PM

The award winning documentary How Do I Look with director Wolfgang Busch and assistant directors Kevin Omni and Luna Khan, will be screened at the Harlem Diaspora Film Festival on December 1st, 2007 on World AIDS Day, followed by Q & A by the directors. How Do I Look is about the Harlem “Drag Ball” community that originated in the 1970s in Harlem, an off shoot of the legendary Harlem “Drag Balls” from the 1920s.

This African American and Hispanic Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Harlem community is best known for its worldwide influences in dance, fashion, runway and music, inspiring Madonna with her best selling music video “Vogue”, fashion designer Thierry Mugler and in music Ru Paul and #1 Billboard dance performer extraordinaire Kevin Aviance with producer GOMI.

This trendsetting artistic community is unfortunately also hit hardest by the AIDS epidemic. Since the beginning of the production of the How Do I Look documentary in 1995, nine members from the “Ball” community have passed away: Willi Ninja, Angie Infiniti, Eric Christian Bazaar, Marcel Christian, Gerald Dupree LaBeija, Mystery Royale, Kenny Ebony, Pepper LaBeija, and Billy Pemperton. While this list of nine "Ball" members did not all die from AIDS, to this date many surving members are struggling every day with the HIV virus. For that reason, much of this community’s history and legacy is lost or in danger of being lost.

This ground-breaking, inspiring, educational and entertaining documentary, now available on DVD, talks about the history of the dance “Vogue” by Willi Ninja, Jose Xtravaganza, and Andre Mizrahi; sends HIV hope messages by Luna Khan; “Bazaar” Fashion designs by Ross Infiniti; runway by Ricky Revlon; transgender issues by Tracy Africa, Carmen Xtravaganza, and Octavia St. Laurent; and the “Ball” history by Marcel Christian and Kevin Omni. Special appearance by columnist Michael Musto, Patricia Field, and Kevin Aviance.

How Do I Look is released independently by Art From The Heart LLC, and we are proud to represent LGBT content at the up-coming prestige’s Diaspora Film Festival in Harlem.

How Do I Look is currently screened in film festivals across the United States and Internationally and the How Do I Look DVD is available on our website www.HowDoILooknyc.org, Amazon.com, selected retail stores in NYC at Kim’s Video, Giovanni’s in Philadelphia and A Different Light book store in Los Angeles.

Please contact: Art From The Heart, attn. Wolfgang Busch at 718-726-0831 or WolfgangBusch@earthlink.net or kevin.burrus1@verizon.net; website: http://www.HowDoILooknyc.org.