Good news, thanks to those of you who contributed to the campaign – one that still has 17 days to go until it ends, and has blown past its goal of $35,000, raising over $40,000, with just over 2 weeks left. In part due to your enthusiasm for the project, via the current overage, the team behind the project has opted to stretch the campaign goal to $60,000, and will add to what the final package will contain, raising the number of films that will be included in the set, from the previous 8, to 12, including titles you’d be familiar with, like "The Blood of Jesus" (Spencer Williams’ 1941 directorial debut), Oscar Micheaux’s 1932 crime/romance musical "The Girl from Chicago," and, from 1929, "The Scar of Shame" by the Colored Players Film Corporation.
Details on this expansion follow via press release below; and, of course, with 17 days still to go in the campaign, to contribute, do so here (they just might raise the number of films to 16 if the $60,000 is surpassed):
Inspired by the overwhelming response to its current Kickstarter campaign, Kino Lorber will expand its landmark restoration for theatrical and Blu-ray/DVD release, PIONEERS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN CINEMA. Originally announced as being comprised of eight feature films (plus shorts, fragments, and new interviews) in a four-disc set, PIONEERS will be expanded to include twelve features, and will be released on video as five discs with even more bonus content.
Curated by historians Charles Musser and Jacqueline Stewart, the set will include such landmark films as Oscar Micheaux’s Within Our Gates, Spencer Williams’s The Blood of Jesus, the Norman Manufacturing Company’s The Flying Ace, The Scar of Shame, and Micheaux’s The Symbol of the Unconquered (featuring a score by legendary jazz drummer Max Roach), among others (see below for a partial list of titles). These films — both the features, and the shorts and fragments — offer an invaluable survey of the too often underrepresented but historically significant contributions to independent cinema from early African-American filmmakers.
To support the additional cost of archival access, mastering, and scoring, Kino Lorber has announced a "stretch goal" for its Kickstarter campaign, and will now aim to reach $60,000 before the campaign ends on March 21.
Launched on February 4, the Kickstarter campaign met its initial goal of $35,000 in just more than a week. "The message we take away from this is that the public has been hungry for a collection like this," says Kino Lorber CEO Richard Lorber, "To pay them back for their support, we’re going to double down and give them an unforgettable box set — one we believe will offer a significant contribution to film history."
In the remaining days of the campaign, Kino Lorber will announce additional films and incentives for contributors. Please visit the Kickstarter campaign page for updates.
