Kickstarter

Dear backers,

 I just wanted to send you a quick update to say that your long ago support has really paid off. This Saturday at 10 p.m. MT, New Mexico's public broadcaster, KRWG, will air Prisoners and Patriots for its first time on television. The film, cut down slightly to fit into TV programming will re-air on Sunday at 9 p.m. MT.

 The TV debut is a special moment for the story. It comes as we mark the 70th anniversary of some of the saddest, most violent events the prisoners faced during their New Mexico incarceration. (DVDs are for sale at www.prisonersandpatriots.com)

 At several events with this film In the past year, people asked me what project I would work on next, and I first told an audience in Ohio that I was considering doing something showcasing bipartisanship. It's the story of an evenly split legislature, and how the political parties got along to make it work. That project is now just getting off the ground, so please see it's kickstarter page as well, and help pledge support for that film.

Thanks again for being a backer and getting important stories told,

Neil

If you are still interested in supporting this project, attending a screening, or ordering a DVD, please see our new web site at www.prisonersandpatriots.com.

The site has bios of all the people interviewed in the film and more information about how you can raise awareness about the arrest of Japanese nationals and Japanese-Americans living in America during WWII.

Thanks again for the continued support. Please pass along the above link to those who are interested.

-Neil

Dear supporters,

 I wanted to update you about Prisoners and Patriots to let you know that your reward will be in the mail soon -- I am hoping within 14 days.

 Unfortunately, as I have been based in Denmark this year, getting the master DVD to the duplication company in Maryland has been more challenging than I expected. The first disc I sent them must be floating somewhere over the Atlantic. I am now sending a new one from New Mexico which should expedite the final production process.

 I greatly appreciate your support for this documentary. The funding has allowed us to obtain copyright permissions for prisoner sketches drawn inside Santa Fe's barbed wire and to donate more copies of the film to schools and libraries.

 Your patience is also much appreciated, and I hope you know that nobody wants to have the DVD packaged and shipped to you more than I do.

 Thank you again.

Neil Simon

Excellent work everybody! You, the first 114 generous backers, allowed us to reach 100% of our goal funding in half the time allowed. It’s been great to see such wide and varied support for Prisoners and Patriots – from the people now living in Casa Solana where the camp was located to university professors as far away as Ohio and Idaho.

We still have until October 15 to receive additional funding, so please share the link or connect me with a potential business sponsor today.

At this point, it's worth remembering:

 - $30 gets an extra film in to another school or library
 - $50 ensures an extra copyrighted archival image can be used in the film
 - $100 gets the film entered in a film festival for potentially larger distribution

Thanks so much for spreading the word and getting this story told.

--Neil

Dear backers,

  I hope you had a relaxing Labor Day weekend. As we ease in to fall, I wanted to thank you for supporting Prisoners and Patriots.

 Today we are just $1,000 away from our goal to get Prisoners and Patriots released to local schools in New Mexico and beyond.  And since we launched this grassroots effort for the film, four new schools and museums in California, Hawaii, Ohio and New Mexico have expressed interest in doing events around the film and the 60th anniversary of Japanese internment.

 Your generosity has already helped get us a great start for our distribution goal, but I hope you can help today by doing one of the following:

• Email your friends this link: http://kck.st/oFjVWF
• Post the link to facebook telling friends why you support this historic film.
• Tweet: try this one "Help distribute a film preserving history of Japanese imprisoned in Santa Fe 60 years ago http://kck.st/oFjVWF "
• And if you know of any business owners who may want to grab one of the two remaining sponsorship slots, send me an email to get us in touch.

In the meantime, here is some more proof you are in good company supporting the film. We recently received these kind words:

“Japanese internment camps are a black mark on our nation’s history. Yet it’s an important period that most Americans know very little or nothing about. I commend Neil Simon for his diligence delving into this forgotten history and bringing to life the stories of men whose heritage cost them their freedom. His film ensures their experiences, and the lessons learned from them, will no longer be neglected.”
-Bill Richardson,
 Governor of New Mexico 2003-2010

 "It’s a camp experience that not many people have taken a look at. Of the 120 individuals I interviewed for my project on Buddhism in the various camps, only 3 of them were in the DOJ camps, so this work on Santa Fe is a real contribution to our understanding of the complexities of the world war two incarceration experience."

-Duncan Williams,
 Director, School of Religion at the University of Southern California