Crucial Arts Launches the Miss HIV NY Film Festival December 1, 2011, in Honor of World AIDS Day 2011.

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/14/2011 -- While it has been 30 years since the first HIV/AIDS identification was made in the United States, disease-related stigma continues to present barriers to optimal prevention, testing, treatment, and care. To combat this stigmatization, Crucial Arts Productions, Inc. (CAP) is presenting the documentary film Miss HIV by EthnoGraphic Media (EGM) as the cornerstone for a unique, four-day initiative in New York City. The MISS HIV NYC Film Festival begins on December 1, 2011, coinciding with this year's observance of World AIDS Day. Crucial Arts is planning for as many as 100 Miss HIV screenings across the greater New York City area over a four-day period. Miss HIV is an award-winning documentary by director Jim Hanon and producer Mart Green that brings into the open the little-known struggle for dominance over AIDS education and prevention. Narrated by Della Reese, the film exposes the heated rhetoric, high stakes, and the heavy toll this battle has taken. EGM president Bill Oechsler states, "The MISS HIV NYC Film Festival is a significant grassroots effort. We admire the visionary leadership of Crucial Arts and others willing to tackle this critical issue in such a creative way. Miss HIV is a film that shines a spotlight on the competing agendas that often complicate an already complex global crisis. By design, the film brings a greater awareness and sensitivity to these issues. It also prompts open and honest dialogue that can lead to positive action." Says Carmen Neely, Crucial Arts Productions' executive director, "The fight against stigmatization of HIV/AIDS is not just our fight - it's a global one. Honest, thought-provoking films like EthnoGraphic Media's Miss HIV from are effective weapons in our campaigns." The primary audience for these screenings will be 16-to-35-year-olds as well as key influencers i.e., educators, health professionals, religious leaders, and community leaders. Daytime and evening film screenings of Miss HIV are being scheduled. Specific details will be posted on www.MissHIVNYC.org. Immediately following each screening, a diverse panel will take part in a Q&A session with the audience. Amu Ptah is the official spokesperson for the MISS HIV NYC Film Festival. She is the co-executive director and chief development and program officer for Positive Health Project (PHP). A native New Yorker living in Harlem, Amu has devoted the last dozen years to HIV prevention and education. "I am honored to serve in this endeavor," Amu said. " Miss HIV brings the continual struggle for dominance over AIDS education and prevention to the forefront where it needs to be." Sign Up Today for your screening at www.MissHIVNYC.org.

About EthnoGraphic Media
EthnoGraphic Media is an educational non-profit organization that explores the critical issues of our time. As a community of artists and filmmakers, EGM uses media to tell true stories of hope and compassion in the midst of suffering and strife. EGM believes that gaining a deeper understanding of the human condition inspires positive action. Other film projects include Little Town of Bethlehem, The Grandfathers, End of the Spear, and Beyond the Gates of Splendor.

About Crucial Arts
Crucial Arts is a 501(c)(3) organization. Their mission is to support, produce, and promote performance and visual media that celebrate diverse artists and artistry of people of color. Their primary focus is presenting documentary films with alternative perspectives that expose the roots of current socio-political issues. They support independent filmmakers by promoting and hosting screenings of their work and serving as non-profit fiscal sponsors.

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New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/23/2009 -- Crucial Arts Productions, Incorporated presents an Encore Presentation of Miss HIV by Jim Hanon at its Monthly Documentary Film Series in celebration of World AIDS DAY 2009.

Miss HIV takes place on Friday, December 11th at 7PM and is a part of the Crucial Arts Monthly Documentary Film Series. We will be joined again by Ms. Rusti Miller-Hill of the Women's HIV Collaborative of New York and members from FACES NY, Inc. (formerly the Minority Task Force on AIDS), the city's oldest non-profit minority AIDS service organization, for our post-screening discussion. All series screenings are on the second Friday of the month at 7PM and are held at the Dwyer Cultural Center, located at 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue (entrance on W. 123rd Street), New York, NY 10027. Ticket Donation is $10 per person and light refreshments will be served at each screening. Please visit www.crucialarts.org to buy tickets, see the trailer, and for more information.

ABOUT THE FILM

Miss HIV
by Jim Hanon (http://www.misshiv.com)

Miss HIV by Jim Hanon explores the international collision of HIV/AIDS policies while following the journey of two HIV-positive women who enter the contest in Botswana. Filmed across Africa and at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto this explosive ethnographic film shares both sides of an ideology struggle. What is happening in Botswana, where half of all pregnant women have HIV, is set against Uganda who has experienced the largest reductions of new infections ever recorded. Unlike any film you've ever seen on AIDS, the story takes you backstage to the Miss HIV pageant and behind the curtain on what is really happening in the war against a virus that is now the leading killer of people under 60 in the world.

ABOUT THE CRUCIAL ARTS MONTHLY DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
The Crucial Arts Documentary Film Series was created for the purpose of presenting critical issues to the community via the artistry of today's film/video social commentators, our documentary filmmakers. Documentary films have a history of exposing underlying 'truths' that are usually eye-opening, and contrary to common belief. It is our goal to present alternative perspectives to these critical issues.

Our mission is to support, produce, promote and present performance and visual media that celebrate the diverse artists and artistry of people of color. Crucial Arts was incorporated in the state of New York as a Not-For-Profit corporation in 1999 and received its retroactive 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Status from the Internal Revenue Service in 2000. Crucial Arts is a Registered Charity in the state of New York.

While our focus is video and film, our activities include, but are not limited to: theatre and film production, digital media and visual art exhibits, fiscal sponsorship, production management and consultation. We support Independent Filmmakers by promoting and hosting screenings of their work, as well as being a non-profit fiscal sponsor for their projects. We believe that independent filmmakers need more exposure, better distribution, and non-profit fiscal sponsors they can use for grants and fundraising.

Please join Crucial Arts at the Dwyer Cultural Center for the Harlem debut of the Monthly Documentary Film Series, as it is sure to be a powerful, and thought provoking experience.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/12/2009 -- The 2nd Installment Of A Thought Provoking Monthly Documentary Film Series Takes A Look At The Breakdown Of Trust Between The United States Government And Its Citizens, As Well As The Related Influence of Race, Class, And Gender With The Axe In The Attic by Ed Pincus and Lucia Small.

The Axe In The Attic will be screened on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 7PM at the Dwyer Cultural Center. The filmmakers, Ed Pincus and Lucia Small, will join us for the screening and post-screening discussion. All Monthly Documentary Film Series Screenings are on Friday evenings at 7PM and are held at the Dwyer Cultural Center, located at 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue (entrance on W. 123rd Street), New York, NY 10027. Ticket Donation is $10 per person and light refreshments will be served at each screening. The next screening date is December 11, 2009.

ABOUT THE FILM

The Axe In The Attic
by Ed Pincus and Lucia Small (http://www.theaxeintheattic.com)

Six months after Hurricane Katrina, two filmmakers, drawn together by outrage, take a sixty-day road trip from New England to New Orleans. Along the way they meet evacuees and witness the loss, dignity, perseverance and humor of people who have become exiles in their own country. The breakdown of trust between a government and its citizens, the influence of race, class, and gender – as well as the ethics of documentary filmmaking itself – form the backdrop for this universal story of the search for home.

ABOUT THE CRUCIAL ARTS MONTHLY DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
The Crucial Arts Documentary Film Series was created for the purpose of presenting critical issues to the community via the artistry of today's film/video social commentators, our documentary filmmakers. Documentary films have a history of exposing underlying 'truths' that are usually eye-opening, and contrary to common belief. It is our goal to present alternative perspectives to these critical issues.

Our mission is to support, produce, promote and present performance and visual media that celebrate the diverse artists and artistry of people of color. Crucial Arts was incorporated in the state of New York as a Not-For-Profit corporation in 1999 and received its retroactive 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Status from the Internal Revenue Service in 2000. Crucial Arts is a Registered Charity in the state of New York.

While our focus is video and film, our activities include, but are not limited to: theatre and film production, digital media and visual art exhibits, fiscal sponsorship, production management and consultation. We support Independent Filmmakers by promoting and hosting screenings of their work, as well as being a non-profit fiscal sponsor for their projects. We believe that independent filmmakers need more exposure, better distribution, and non-profit fiscal sponsors they can use for grants and fundraising.

Please join Crucial Arts at the Dwyer Cultural Center for the Harlem debut of the Monthly Documentary Film Series, as it is sure to be a powerful, and thought provoking experience.

For further information about the monthly documentary film series, or about Crucial Arts Productions, please visit our website at http://www.crucialarts.org or call 917-991-4760.

For further information about the Dwyer Cultural Center, please visit http://www.dwyercc.org or call 212-222-3060.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/10/2009 -- Making its Harlem debut, Crucial Arts Productions, Incorporated presents its Monthly Documentary Film Series October 2009 featured selection Miss HIV by Jim Hanon.

The series begins on Friday, October 9, 2009 at 7 PM with Miss HIV by Jim Hanon. The remaining screening dates for 2009 are November 13th and December 11th. All screenings are on Friday evenings at 7PM and are held at the Dwyer Cultural Center, located at 258 Saint Nicholas Avenue (entrance on W. 123rd Street), New York, NY 10027. Ticket Donation is $10 per person and light refreshments will be served at each screening.

ABOUT THE FILM

Miss HIV
by Jim Hanon (http://www.misshiv.com)

Miss HIV by Jim Hanon explores the international collision of HIV/AIDS policies while following the journey of two HIV-positive women who enter the contest in Botswana. Filmed across Africa and at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto this explosive ethnographic film shares both sides of an ideology struggle. What is happening in Botswana, where half of all pregnant women have HIV, is set against Uganda who has experienced the largest reductions of new infections ever recorded. Unlike any film you've ever seen on AIDS, the story takes you backstage to the Miss HIV pageant and behind the curtain on what is really happening in the war against a virus that is now the leading killer of people under 60 in the world.

ABOUT THE CRUCIAL ARTS MONTHLY DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
The Crucial Arts Documentary Film Series was created for the purpose of presenting critical issues to the community via the artistry of today's film/video social commentators, our documentary filmmakers. Documentary films have a history of exposing underlying 'truths' that are usually eye-opening, and contrary to common belief. It is our goal to present alternative perspectives to these critical issues.

Our mission is to support, produce, promote and present performance and visual media that celebrate the diverse artists and artistry of people of color. Crucial Arts was incorporated in the state of New York as a Not-For-Profit corporation in 1999 and received its retroactive 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Status from the Internal Revenue Service in 2000. Crucial Arts is a Registered Charity in the state of New York.

While our focus is video and film, our activities include, but are not limited to: theatre and film production, digital media and visual art exhibits, fiscal sponsorship, production management and consultation. We support Independent Filmmakers by promoting and hosting screenings of their work, as well as being a non-profit fiscal sponsor for their projects. We believe that independent filmmakers need more exposure, better distribution, and non-profit fiscal sponsors they can use for grants and fundraising.

Please join Crucial Arts at the Dwyer Cultural Center for the Harlem debut of the Monthly Documentary Film Series, as it is sure to be a powerful, and thought provoking experience.

For further information about the monthly documentary film series, or about Crucial Arts Productions, please visit our website at http://www.crucialarts.org or call 917-991-4760.

For further information about the Dwyer Cultural Center, please visit http://www.dwyercc.org or call 212-222-3060.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Crucial Arts 2009 Documentary Film Series brings back “Silence: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America” by Mya Baker for a second look.

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/31/2009 -- Rising from the success of its Harlem debut of the Crucial Arts Summer 2009 Documentary Film Series, Crucial Arts is bring back "Silence: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America" by Mya Baker due to tremendous popular demand. We received many emails and phone calls asking when we might have another screening of this thought provoking documentary. Well, here it is. The cries of the people have been heard!

On Friday, August 21, 2009 at 7 PM, "Silence: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America" by Mya Baker will again be screened at the Casa Frela Gallery, located at 47 W. 119th Street (between Lenox Avenue and Fifth Avenue), New York, NY 10026. Ticket Donation is $10 per person and light refreshments will be served. Tickets are also available for purchase online at http://www.crucialarts.org.

ABOUT THE FILM
Silence: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America
by Mya Baker of Shoot Films Not People (http://www.shootfilmsnotpeople.net)
In the age of misogynist hip-hop, as black women are portrayed as "freaks", award winning filmmaker Mya B. sets out to destroy the present sexual myths about black women in this Telly-winning film that "is necessary" (SugaPoet). Mixing melancholic music, film clips, and hard hitting interviews from everyday people, professors, and music video directors Little X and Nzingha Stewart, Silence: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America is "an interesting and gritty glimpse" (PBS) into the sexuality of black women. Written, produced, and directed by Mya Baker.

ABOUT THE CRUCIAL ARTS DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
The Crucial Arts Documentary Film Series was created for the purpose of presenting critical issues to the community via the artistry of today's film/video social commentators, our documentary filmmakers. Documentary films have a history of exposing underlying 'truths' that are usually eye-opening, and contrary to common belief. It is our goal to present alternative perspectives to these critical issues.

Our mission is to support, produce, promote and present performance and visual media that celebrate the diverse artists and artistry of people of color. Crucial Arts was incorporated in the state of New York as a Not-For-Profit corporation in 1999 and received its retroactive 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Status from the Internal Revenue Service in 2000. Crucial Arts is a Registered Charity in New York and has a five member Board of Directors.

While our focus is video and film, our activities include, but are not limited to: theatre and film production, digital media and visual art exhibits, fiscal sponsorship, production management and consultation. We support Independent Filmmakers by promoting and hosting screenings of their work, as well as being a non-profit fiscal sponsor for their projects. We believe that independent filmmakers need more exposure, better distribution, and non-profit fiscal sponsors they can use for grants and fundraising.

Please join Crucial Arts at the Casa Frela Gallery for the return of "Silence: In Search of Black Female Sexuality in America" by Mya Baker, as it is sure to be a powerful, and thought provoking experience.

For further information about the documentary film series, or about Crucial Arts Productions, please visit our website at http://www.crucialarts.org or call 718-930-8748.

For further information about the Casa Frela Gallery, please visit http://www.casafrela.com or call the gallery at
212-722-8577.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm