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December 2006
Amsterdam, Holland - Sat. Dec. 2, 2006- IDFA Festival New Year Baby Wins the 'MOVIES THAT MATTER' HUMAN RIGHTS CINEMA AWARD - an initiative by AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL  By a unanimous jury decision, New Year Baby is awarded the 'Movies That Matter' Human Rights Award - an initiative by Amnesty International. The jury named New Year Baby a "tour de force" with "universal appeal." This is the highest international human rights honor the film can win. More than 200 films are selected for the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) each year from across the world. Only 5 awards are presented to feature length films and only the Movies that Matter competition includes films from every competition. In addition to the award honor, New Year Baby will be theatrically screened in the Netherlands to share the film across the country. Even greater, Amnesty International has expressed interest in supporting the film to share the work internationally. New Year Baby is also a top ten audience favorite of the 172 audience rated films. Screenings sold out and festival goers waited for seats after theaters were full. IDFA scheduled an additional screening due to audience response. The film now has festival invitations around the world. We plan to take the story to the world. If you would like to schedule a private fundraising screening to support the outreach and impact, please contact Producer Charles Vogl right away. Celebrate as we do. -Charles Vogl, Producer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 'Movies That Matter' Jury Report- "New Year Baby (is) a deeply tender and poignant film about a Cambodian-American's journey with her family to uncover the secrets of a tragic past at the hands of the Khmer Rouge... It was a tour de force for anyone, and particularly for a young, first-time filmmaker... We also agreed unanimously to award New Year Baby with the Movies that Matter prize. We are confident that the universal appeal of the film will give an international audience emotional access into the impact of the genocide, and may help pave the way for the potentially forthcoming tribunal in Cambodia..." -IDFA 2006 Movies That Matter Jury November 2006
Amsterdam, Tues. Nov. 29th, 2006- IDFA Festival For three days New Year Baby has been listed in the TOP TEN of the 173 films rated by audiences. At the second screening, the tickets sold out and more people came to the theater than there were seats. People fought at the theater door to get in and yelled at the IDFA volunteers. We had one woman sitting on the stairs because the seats were full. One major film festival director couldn't get in and later asked me personally for a DVD copy at the industry party her festival hosted that night. At the end of the NYB screening, the IDFA moderator stopped the applause so there would be time for a Q&A session with Socheata. We are delighted to see the world loves this film, story and message. It is a miracle that we appreciate every day. -Charles Vogl Producer Amsterdam, Sat. Nov. 25th, 2006- World Premiere Last night New Year Baby made its world premiere at IDFA, the most prestigious documentary film festival in the world. Over 200 viewed the film. The audience then gave Socheata a standing ovation. Two festival representatives immediately extended two international invitations and press approached Socheata. The festival staff reported that the audience rated the film "very good" & "superb." We brought 500 NYB buttons to IDFA for 4 screenings. Half are gone at the end of the first screening. It is about as good an international premiere as a first film made over three years can ever expect. The crew invited some NYers to a private screening in November. There was a surprise standing ovation. Here are some comments: "I was completely & thoroughly moved. The honesty & love within your family was heartwarming. Your dad is a hero - not only to you, your sisters and mom, but will be to the world as he is to me." -Bill Paglia Scheff Middletown, CT "This story is amazing. It is remarkable because it showcases the human spirit and it shows how love & family can help you survive anything. It is a story of a father and a daughter healing... It give you hope. It connects you to your fellow humans." -Kymberly Stewart Brooklyn, NY "All I can say is Wow!...I laughed, I cried, I learned and was outraged... You guys did an amazing job! I'm so proud of what you've accomplished." - Joe Raby NY,NY "An Incredibly moving and intimate portrayal of family life, relationships and personal strength in the face of national catastrophe. A celebration of familial strength..." -Veronica Price NY, NY "Viewing NYB really felt like experiencing something extremely special & powerful. Socheata's story resonates with any family's story of loss & love. I can't wait for this to get out to the world." -Rebecca Hughes Jersey City, NJ "I loved it. All of it.... I will definitely let my friends and acquaintances, everyone know about this. You guys are amazing." -Leslie Liao NY, NY There is no crying in doc filmmaking!
While I was editing New Year Baby with my editor Sandra Christie, we sometimes would talk about why I made the film. And I've told her more often than not that I didn't make it to win awards. I told her, "If we don't get into Sundance, I won't even cry."
Well, I lied. A few days ago, we found out that though the programmers' repeatedly expressed respect for the film, we didn't get an invitation. As I wrote an email to our crew, I shed a few tears, while searching for everyone's email in my contact list. I realized that I wasn't crying out of disappointment that the most famous indie film festival in the world passed on us. I felt like I let our crew down. Everyone who worked with us did so with sacrifices -- and they were usually monetary. I wanted to be able to show my gratitude for their talent by bringing this film to the most visible level of success, so their work could be highlighted. And what Charles and I realized is that not getting into Sundance keeps us hungry. We're even more motivated to make this film a creative and business success. And judging from the overwhelming response at IDFA, the sky is the limit. Little did we know IDFA audiences would rate NYB among the top 10 of the more than 173 international films here. I am very proud. October 2006
And the winner is... Recently, Charles and I saw the movie Little Miss Sunshine. We both laughed and cried and talked about it for hours afterwards.
 The moral of the story is that life is a series of beauty contests. It occured to me that Sundance is just another beauty contest. And I didn't come up with the rules. I didn't even sign up for them. I realized that the main reason I would be disappointed if we don't get in is for our crew. Everyone has worked so hard to make this film as good as it can be. They really have invested their hearts into it. But I know the film will find its audience - whether it happens at Sundance or in a village in Cambodia. The New Year Baby World Premiere
 will be at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam Nov. 23 - Dec. 3, 2006 IDFA is considered the best possible European premiere for NYB. 125,000 will visit the festival. Nathan Smith, Calvin Lo, Gil Talmi, Blerti Murataj and we are working intently to make the deadline. Socheata and I will fly over next month and begin sharing NYB with the world. Next Step: We are creating a volunteer support team. We can be overwhelmed and miss deadlines, or we can create a community that carries this film to others with fun and inspiration. There are a number of things you may support us with. * Volunteer Assistants to ready NYB for festivals * Air Miles to fly Socheata * Publicity & Marketing * Financial support for Socheata away meals, festival posters, and phone bills. -Charles Vogl Producer September 2006
Speaking of Genocide Last Sunday, Charles, Joanne, Leslie and I were at the Save Darfur Rally in Central Park. We volunteered for Human Rights Watch and listened to speakers and singers. I was impressed by two things: 1. how many young people were there (at least 60%) 2. how many Jewish groups were there (as many as 50% of the groups).
It occured to me that Cambodian Americans aren't organized to tell the history of the Khmer Rouge. Therefore they're not organized to advocate for the prevention of genocide. As Cambodians, what is the conversation we bring to the world? I don't think we have one. Not yet anyway. Sat. Sept. 9, 2006
Today we sent the Sundance film festival application and fine cut. Sandra Christie (Editor), Jacob Okada (Asst. Editor) and Andrew Pakenas (Audio rec./ Post) really committed to make this happen. Socheata has also been working to 1am regularly to ensure the best possible film cut. This is an exciting time. We are only here because of the people who rallied behind this project. Thank you. We are proud of the work. Tonight we took the night off, mostly. -Charles Vogl Producer August 2006
There is so much to tell. *The fine cut is complete! We've screened to as many people as we could find that we believe will actually tell us where the weaknesses have been. After months of listening to criticism, looking for laughs and tears and refining every scene, we have a cut that moves both Bronx teenagers and UN officers. *We screened a working cut to teenagers from the Ghetto Film School. Our appreciation goes to them for their honesty, time and generous applause. *Socheata continues to refine the last voice over at Lucky Duck Productions. Our appreciation goes to their generosity in providing their recording facility. *The credits are written and Calvin Lo is creating the credit sequences. *We have the best legal team on the East coast and they are dotting i's and crossing T's as we close in on a final film. *Fundraising continues. We still look for funds for on-line editing and other expenses. One person describes this project as now "through the desert". We keep on ticking unreasonably. We are not alone. Special Invitation: The private New Year Baby Cambodia Trip in Feb. 2007 is now open to friends, supporters and our community. It is only for those who want to experience traveling Cambodia with Socheata and the NYB crew looking for Love, Joy & Pardon. It will be a magical trip. July 2006
Generosity Thurs. July 27th (L.A., CA)- The Rt. Rev. J.Jon Bruno, the Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles, committed $25,000 toward completing New Year Baby. The commitment is startling to us on the crew. It was made immediately on seeing the 9min. trailer and hearing of the project needs. I am moved by his commitment to and vision for what this work will be for the world. -Charles Vogl
Speak your Peace
 This past week, I attended SEARAC's (Southeast Asian Resource Action Center) Leadership Training in DC. Over three days, we developed an advocacy agenda and took it to Capitol Hill. I couldn't believe how easy it was to waltz right into Capitol Hill and speak your peace. If the Congressperson's staff is smart, they should be eager to hear what you have to say. Our group of six spoke to Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Al Green's office about the problem of mental health in the Southeast Asian community.  I met a lot of wonderful people at the training. And out of it, two projects have been birthed:1. a Cambodian American women's professional group called Bong Srei: Khmer Sisters 2 . a how-to guide on how to honor your parents in the traditional Khmer way.
What it Takes to Make a Film
Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed by this project, I think to myself that I'm doing this all alone. It's my responsibility to make the story work. It's my responsibility as the director to make a great compelling film that people will remember.
Yesterday Charles and I created the credits list for the film. There were 194 lines! We couldn't possibly acknowledge everyone who has ever volunteered at a fundraising party or given an hour of time. I saw in the document the support it took to make this film happen. How presumptous of me to ever think that I am alone. June 2006 Go Mets! Today, one of our supporters, Chris and his brother Basil Stamos invited us to a Mets Game at Shea Stadium in a sky box. It was a gathering of young activists, artists and entrepreneurs -- such a New York room.
It was a great chance to see Leslie Morioka and Raj Gandesha outside of a conference room. It was a great opportunity to acknowledge the Stamos brothers for being who they are for the world. Mets lost, but we left with a high. One of our primary funders screened the latest cut and described it as "stunning". We look forward to the notes after Gil Talmi puts music to it and Calvin Lo's maps explain where in the world Socheata is. We've updated the FILMMAKER page on the website so you can see the newest talent bringing this to life. It is worth a peruse.
May 2006
What's a Film without an Intern?
We have our first intern! Her name is Sara Newens and we met at a Women Make Movies event. Duties will include helping us with footage research, helping us coordinate fundraising events and petting our dog. Thanks Sara, in advance, for your enthusiasm and support.
A Flood of Support
My editor Sandra and I have been noticing that my voice over is a little less than brilliant. It's somewhere in between the Today Show and VH1 Where Are They Now?
We were racking our brains, trying to think of a writing consultant. We came up with no one. We sent out an email to filmmakers on our list. I got 34 responses with people offering their help or referring me to someone else. Many of the people were strangers who totally got turned on to our project from the website. So many people want to contribute to the film. It's wonderful to feel so supported. Soundtrack to My Life We've been working recently with our composer, Gil Talmi. It's such a delicious treat to have someone write the perfect soundtrack for your life. I highly recommend it. I have asked him to create honest and organic sounding music. I recently watched scenes that I have seen a billion times. With the perfect music, it was like watching a brand new scene.
Funders ITVS and the Center for Asian American Media have both seen a rough cut and the feedback is very encouraging. In fact we also screened the cut to a small group of filmmakers and they had great criticism for improvement and one group comment was they want more! That's the kind of thing we like to hear.
April 2006 Thank you to Patrick and Phillip   I'm posting this thank you to two friends. - Socheata "Yesterday, Socheata Poeuv (Director of New Year Baby) spoke to a room of senior UN Officers and several embassy diplomats at an event hosted by the Soros Foundation's Open Society Justice Initiative. The other three speakers included the Cambodian Ambassador to the UN and two crafters of the upcoming Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Socheata was invited to both speak and screen the 9 min trailer of the film. This was an opportunity to introduce our mission and the film's quality to the highest level diplomats working in Cambodia and the world on human rights. When I arrived, one of the organizers handed me a projector he didn't know how to operate. No one knew how to operate it. There was also no DVD player. We didn't know if the projector was even compatible with my computer. I couldn't make it work within the 30 min. to start. Then friends and doc filmmakers Philip Eisenstein and Patrick Horner arrived only to support our work. They not only spent the time hunched over the gear to make it work, Patrick pulled out his own laptop to sync with the unexplained projector. They got it to work briefly and then when it was time for Soch's talk the lamp bulb would not turn on. In that 12th floor room of diplomats overlooking the UN Building, while others listened to the conflicts of international law. Patrick and Philip sat in the front row pressing every button on the projector, rebooting the computer and everything they (and I) could think of. They got it to work before the end of the event! The crowd laughed and cried. The hosts later told us the trailer was the high light of the event. A multi-Emmy award winning documentary maker passed Soch his card. The Justice Initiative expressed interest in using the finished film for their outreach in Cambodia and Socheata has a new relationship with diplomatic human rights community. This is all possible because Philip and Patrick showed up and were totally unreasonable and unstoppable" -Charles Vogl Producer Broken English Productions California Dreamin'
Just returned from a visit to LA. Tuesday I met with the UCLA United Khmer Students Association. The gathering was an intimate one amid a rare rainstorm in Southern California. I was excited to find that the students were visibly moved by the trailer. Some of them shared that this project inspired them to interview their parents about their survival story. Thanks to Seng Peng for setting this up.
On Wednesday, I met with three staffers from the Shoah Foundation at USC. Thank you, Chaim Singer-Frankes for your support and encouragement. I wanted to learn everything I could about their process with a mind toward developing a project modelled after Shoah to archive videotape testimonies from Khmer Rouge survivors. What they have done is astounding and incredibly impressive. They have recorded 52,000 interviews from Holocaust survivors. All are catalogued and indexed to be keyword searchable. What a task! I asked them how many funds they acquired in seed money to start the project. All three staffers piped in at once -- anywhere from $11 million to $100 million to be exact. I became so intimidated by the project I created. Then I remembered that 2.5 years ago when I started this documentary, I thought I could finish it in one year and with a mere $75,000. Sometimes naivete is the access to courage. The first rough cut is finished. Socheata is in the edit room with Sandra Christie everyday. The good news is it is clear we have all the elements for a compelling and moving film. Socheata has selected Emmy nominated composer Gil Talmi to compose music for the documentary and is in communication with a well known European singer song writer to provide further music. Everything we have heard is working wonderfully.
It is clear we need to expand the budget to accommodate more animation and archival footage. We are in action on that. The good news is there is a lot of support in this community This past month there has been a lot of excitement: * The Cambodian New Year Party 2006 was a success. o Party photos are up! o Somaly Hay performed Cambodian Court Dance o Derek Kinsaul performed live o Our team of event planners and volunteers did an extraordinary job! Amy Yan Angela Gee Kimberly Page Yi Ping Lee Jen Law Rebecca Hughes Patrick Meegan Lany Phlong Kris Jacob Mem´ en gwa Juell Faith * Socheata spoke to UN Officers and embassy diplomats on behalf of the Open Society Justice Initiative. We shared the NYB 9min. piece and they laughed and cried. Socheata wrote an article for OSJI's latest publication. One staff person told us it is their favorite article. Pics * Socheata visited the Shoah Foundation at USC (LA,CA) to discuss creating a program with a similar mission to document genocide for the Cambodian community. * Socheata visited the UCLA United Khmer Students for outreach and to discuss the NYB mission. Pics March 2006 Postproduction is in full swing. We have submitted our first footage assembly to ITVS and Socheata is full time on New Year Baby for the first time in two years. Jacob Okada put in late nights so we can now see the most powerful scenes. Paul is working on the animation which is much more moving than anything predicted. The Final Cut Pro editing suite and over 150 hours of footage are now with Editor Sandra Christie who is bringing her talent to the story. Among other things, Producer Jason Bolling is finding the best archival footage. The crafting is underway. She's a Brickhouse The subject of my fim -- the story of how my family survived the Khmer Rouge genocide -- took place a generation ago. Like a number of docs, we have the challenge of covering events for which there is no video. I'm not a big fan of the slow push into a black and white photo a la Ken Burns.
There is one anecdote, I'm especially keen on illustrating. A childhood moment when my mother refused to tell me anything about her past and suddenly put a brickwall. But this is a film; what would I show? Today, the guys at IMI (International Masonry Institute) in Long Island City came to my rescue by constructing a brickwall for us to shoot! Thank you to Dennis Holloway, Kenny LaValle, and Alfredo Reyes. February 2006
* First footage Assembly finished! * Socheata left NBC Dateline for extended leave to work on NYB Editing full time * Socheata spoke to DCTV Master Filmmaker Class in New York City * Kristi Griffin & Mike Foyo hosted a private fundraising party * Dinner with Strangers o Upper West Side Host: Greg Anderson / Cook: Peter LaBruscian * Cheni Yerushalmi & Joe Raby of Sunshine Suites hosted a private party & fundraiser January 2006 January has been one of the most exciting and encouraging months on the New Year Baby project. Socheata and I went to Long Beach, CA where many people we never met before showed commitment and generosity by helping us to create two extraordinary events. Our events were covered by Cambodian media - reaching millions around the world. Thank you for being on this journey. * The Khmer Rouge Survivors Forum January 28th o Hosted by Dr. Leakhena Nou and Cal State Long Beach oThe event was broadcast by Radio Free Asia in four segments over 3 days to Millions of Cambodians all over the world. oOne young participant shared with Socheata that he is going to interview his parents about their story for the first time oCambodian rapper Prach Ly performed two songs. oCal State University hosted a Cambodian dinner for Broken English and Cambodian Students * Beach Filming of Cambodian Americans January 29th o Survivors of the genocide recreated the mug shots the Khmer Rouge took of their victims as a statement of survival. Over 40 participants stood on a cold beach at sunset for the perfect shot to end New Year Baby. o Thank you to those who participated. Here are a few acknowledgements. + The CSULB Cambodian Student Association - for making this possible + Gretchen Hildebran - Additional Camera + David Mesloh - Jib/Dolly operation + Elliot Mebane - Still photography + Patrick Chilelli - Production + Bryant Ben - Promotion & City Contact + Thourn Heng - Promotion + Stephanie Vogl - Catering + Bill Robinette - Catering + James Vogl - Graphic arts and promotional materials + Long Beach Film Office - Coordination + Brian O'Banks - Equipment See the photos *Socheata met with 5 non-profits interested in working with New Year Baby *Producer Charles Vogl spoke to 2 Sociology classes at CSULB *We are a week away from the first footage assembly.
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