Dear supporters of Beijing Taxi,

BEIJING TAXI will have its PBS broadcast premiere JUNE 25, prime time show at 9PM. Other showtimes throughout the day.
http://worldcompass.org/broadcast-schedule/beijing-taxi-1
Interview with Miao Wang for PBS World:
http://worldcompass.org/content/filmmaker-miao-wang

Thanks Kickstarter for posting a blog announcement:
http://www.kickstarter.com/blog/beijing-taxis-pbs-broadcast-premiere-this-saturday

Note the time is Eastern Time, please adjust accordingly for your city.
Sat, June 25, 2011, 9:00 PM EST
Sun, June 26, 2011, 2:00 AM EST

Website: http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com/
NOMINATED - Best Feature Doc - SXSW 2010
WINNER - Best Feature Doc - Sidewalk FF 2010
WINNER - Best Director - Duke City Docfest 2010

NY - Channel 21 WLIW PBS World / Time Warner Channel 164
Boston - WGBH

List of Stations in Select Cities to view the broadcast:
http://worldcompass.org/where_to_watch_world_tv

ALAS-Fairbanks AK
ARKA-Conway AR
GEOR-Atlanta GA
IDAH-Boise ID
IOWA-Johnston IA
KAET-Phoenix AZ
KEET-Eureka CA
KERA-Dallas TX
KETC-St. Louis MO
KIXE-Redding CA
KLRN-San Antonio TX
KNME-Albuquerque NM
KOCE-Huntington Beach, CA
KOOD-Bunker Hill KS
KSPS-Spokane WA
KSYS-Medford OR
KUAT-Tucson AZ
KUED-Salt Lake City UT
MAIN-Bangor ME
MONT-Bozeman MT
NEBR-Lincoln NE
SDAK-Vermillion SD
VERM-Colchester VT
WBRA-Roanoke VA
WCFE-Plattsburgh NY
WCTE-Cookeville, TN
WCNY-Syracuse NY
WETP-Knoxville TN
WGBH-Boston MA
WGBY-Springfield MA
WGCU-Fort Myers FL
WHRO-Norfolk VA
WHYY-Philadelphia PA
WILL-Urbana IL
WIPB-Muncie IN
WJCT-Jacksonville FL
WKAR-East Lansing MI
WLJT-Martin TN
WMEC-Chatham IL
WMHT-Troy NY
WMVS-Milwaukee WI
WNET-New York NY
WPSU-University Park PA
WQLN-Erie PA
WSIU-Carbondale IL
WSRE-Pensacola FL
WTIU-Bloomington IN
WTVP-Peoria IL
WUFT-Gainesville FL
WVIZ-Cleveland OH
WXXI-Rochester NY
WYES-Metairie LA
WYOM-Riverton WY

Beijing Taxi - A Film by Miao Wang
Set against the backdrop of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, BEIJING TAXI is a timely, uncensored and richly cinematic portrait of China's ancient capital as it undergoes a profound transformation. The film takes an intimate and compelling look at the lives of three cab drivers as they confront modern issues and changing values. Through their daily struggles infused with humor and quiet determination, BEIJING TAXI reveals the complexity and contradictions of China's shifting paradigm.

Dear Kickstarter supporters,

BEIJING TAXI opens theatrically for ONE WEEK ONLY in NY’s new indie film theater – reRun Gastropub Theater in DUMBO Brooklyn. For those of you who missed it at the IFC Center in October, this is your chance to catch it at the intimate setting of this theater! And for those of you who saw it at IFC, please kindly forward widely to your friends! A successfully theatrical opening in NY is crucial for the journey of this film to get out to the rest of the country’s theaters. Thank you as always for your support. Come join me for a drink tonight and tomorrow night.

"Poignant... Seamless" – THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Mesmerizing” – *CRITICS’ PICK ** NEW YORK MAGAZINE
“Engrossing... Imagistic... Revealing” – VARIETY

NPR’s Here and Now interview with Miao Wang - http://www.hereandnow.org/2010/11/16/beijing-taxi

Opens TONIGHT, December 10, 7pm ReRun Gastropub Theater
147 Front Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
http://reruntheater.com/
TICKETS ON-SALE: http://beijingtaxi.eventbrite.com/
PURCHASE IN ADVANCE, especially for the Friday/Saturday shows.

SHOWTIMES:
Dec 10 Fri, 11 Sat, 14 Tue, 15 Wed: 7pm + 9:30pm
Dec 12 Sun: 10pm
Dec 13 Mon: 8pm
Dec 16 Thurs: 1pm

*** SPECIAL GUESTS + Q&As on Dec. 10 + 11 + 13 ***

*** COME EARLY FOR LIQUOR & SNACKS!   Last call 5 minutes before showtime ***

Argot Pictures presents BEIJING TAXI,  a timely, uncensored and richly cinematic portrait of China's ancient capital as it undergoes a profound transformation. Intimately tracking the lives of three cab drivers as they confront modern issues and changing values against the backdrop of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the toast of Stockholm and SXSW (and Best Feature Documentary at this year's Sidewalk Film Festival) makes its New York theatrical premiere with a week-long run, December 10 - 16.

Told from the perspective of the lao bai xing (general public), Beijing-born American director Miao Wang's feature debut introduces us to Bai Jiwen, a mid '50s hack from the older, lost generation that came of age during the Cultural Revolution. A tough-minded mother in her thirties, Wei Caixia aspires to a free-spirited life and the entrepreneurial success that has captivated younger generations. Aged in-between is Zhou Yi, an optimistic and contented man who holds on to the more traditional Beijinger's lifestyle of the past as the city modernizes around him. Together, the trio radiates a warm-humored sense of humanity despite the struggles each faces in adapting to the new realities of urban living.

With stunning imagery by Ian Vollmer (WIDE AWAKE) and Sean Price Williams (BEETLE QUEEN CONQUERS TOKYO) and an atmospheric contemporary score, BEIJING TAXI investigates a rising nation struggling to reconcile enormous contradictions while adjusting to a capitalist system that often seems foreign within a Communist-ruled, educated landscape. Candid, perceptive and moody in style, BEIJING TAXI takes us on an evocative trip through fragments of a society riding its bumpy roads. The destination is unknown, but these drivers forge ahead.

78 minutes. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Presented in Blu-ray. Unrated. An Argot Pictures release. More info at http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com

"Rich and culturally challenging... A rare glimpse inside the new heart of China."
- Marc Savlov, THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE

"An outstanding ride! BEIJING TAXI dips us under the mainstream media's radar screen and places us in the seat of a journey through the capital of China: a lyrical, funny and at times bitter journey." 
- Stewart Nusbaumer, THE HUFFINGTON POST

"Vivid but impressionistic... Wang has a gift for defamiliarization, transforming the everyday into something beguiling... BEIJING TAXI has a powerful, defining sense of place."
- Victoria Large, NOT COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU

New Yorkers, looking forward to seeing you at the IFC Center TONIGHT. And please do join us for the after-party at the Bubble Lounge, sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute. (Hors d'oeuvres and ONE FREE DRINK with ticket stub)

Get your tickets if you haven't yet:
http://www.ifccenter.com/films/beijing-taxi/

For the full update please click on this link:
http://us1.campaign-archive.com/...

"An Outstanding Ride" – Huffington Post
“Evocative” – The Wall Street Journal Speakeasy
"Reality-television compelling" – Baltimore City Paper
"Strikingly gorgeous... Revelatory... It's not just valuable for the record, it's elegant in the process." – Greencine

Dear BEIJING TAXI supporters,

Greetings! It's been a long time since we sent a BEIJING TAXI update - and there's lots to report! On October 4, we are thrilled to bring the film to its hometown: yes, NYC here we come! (read on) We have been on a whirlwind tour this summer. BEIJING TAXI screened in Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Beijing, where it opened to packed and sold out houses. The atmosphere at the Beijing screening was buzzing and spirited - the drivers were in attendance, and they were the stars! Bai, along with his wife, showed up in his taxi uniform and an audience member kindly offered to give Wei's daughter English lessons. Liu Donghong from Sand (the Beijing rock band featured in the soundtrack) also gave a wonderful performance after the Q&A.

Since returning to the U.S., BEIJING TAXI was honored to be the Opening Night film at the Martha's Vineyard Film Festival. We enjoyed a completely sold-out audience, with a full encore screening.

NY Premiere at IFC Center - Spread the Word!
Please join us for the New York premiere of BEIJING TAXI at the IFC Center, a special one-night only screening event, followed by Q&A, and a live performance by the very talented film composers Stephen Ulrich and Itamar Ziegler. We ask you to please purchase your tickets IN ADVANCE, as space is limited. A successful premiere will also help us secure additional screenings.

October 4, 7:45pm
IFC Center: 323 Sixth Avenue at West Third Street
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW on IFC Center’s website: http://www.ifccenter.com/films/beijing-taxi/

Motion Picture Soundtrack
Many of you have been eagerly awaiting the sounds and music from the BEIJING TAXI soundtrack, we're very excited to announce its release! You can purchase it on the website's SHOP. The CD is encased in a beautiful limited-edition heavyweight chipboard designed by Miao Wang, printed in Beijing. Of course, the soundtrack is also made available for digital download on ITunes! Order the Album | Download the Album

Upcoming Screening Schedule and Tickets
* NY, NY - Oct 4, 7:45pm, IFC Center, Q&A with Miao Wang and a live performance by the film composers.
* Birmingham, AL - Sept 25, 6pm, Sidewalk Film Festival, Q&A with Miao Wang, Alabama Powers Theatre
* Oahu, Hawaii - Oct 16 3pm & Oct 17 4:15pm, Q&A with Miao Wang, Hawaii International Film Festival
* Albuquerque, NM - Oct 13, 9pm at KiMo Theather & October 14 1pm at Flying Star, Duke City Docfest
* Boston, MA - Nov 16, 7:00pm, Co-presentation by Primary Source, Q&A with Miao Wang, Coolidge Corner Theater

All the best,
Miao

Dearest BEIJING TAXI supporters,

We just returned from a fantastic world premiere in Austin! We were very excited to have three sold-out screenings. Our world premiere on a Monday afternoon drew long lines and a crowd of 450! It was glorious to watch and hear the film on the HUGE screen at the G-tech theatre. We built some great buzz around the film, Daily Texan named it "Top 5 Films to Watch at SXSW."

We also come back with some great reviews! The Huffington Post calls Beijing Taxi "an outstanding ride"; Greencine: "Strikingly gorgeous... revelatory"; The Wall Street Journal Speakeasy: "Evocative"; The Austin Chronicle: "Rich and culturally challenging"...

Please be sure to visit the website's press page for a complete list with links of reviews and many interviews (IndieWire / KXAN Austin morning news / DocuBloggers...).
Note: Your very gracious support via Kickstarter is prominently discussed in the Wall Street Journal Speakeasy article.

The Beijing Taxi t-shirts were a huge hit at the Beijing Invasion party! People were spotting the tees everywhere on the streets of Austin! Check out our Facebook fan page for lots of photos from the premiere.

Next stops - Yale University in New Haven, Boston, LA, Baltimore, Athens (OH)!
Screening schedules are regularly updated on our website.

If you haven't already, I urge you to please join our mailing list to receive screenings and updates. Recommend it to your friends too! If you can take a brief moment to also click on the Suggest to Friends link on the upper left side of the Beijing Taxi Facebook fan page it would be a big help for us! Follow us on Twitter too.

We need all the help we can get to spread the love for the film like wild fire!!

For those of you who have submitted your contact information, look out for your Kickstarter Pledge Reward coming shortly to your mailbox!! I hope you are as excited to receive them as I was as I signed the DVDs and hand-packed each envelope and brought my close to 100 packages to the post office:-) If you haven't sent me your mailing address, it's not too late.

Thank you for your patience and for your continued support.

I hope to see you soon at a Beijing Taxi screening near you!

If you have any connections to festivals, broadcasters, universities, organizations, galleries, other venues, feel free to get in touch! We are in the process of devising our master outreach plan.

All my very best,
Miao

I just returned from an intensive two weeks at Modulus Studios in Boston where it was a madhouse of productivity. After 16-hour days of hyper concentration, I'm very proud to announce the HDCAM master copy in all its glory has arrived safely in Austin. The DVD master is also being replicated for production as we speak, they will be ready and available to be shipped out as soon as I'm back from Austin to those of you who are waiting for your signed copy. Tshirts are in production as well and will be ready around the same time.

I thank all of you, and Kickstarter again, for making this possible. See some of the photos for where your money has gone! :-) I promise you will not be disappointed when you get your personal copy of the DVD. I have included a few great extra features on this limited-edition of 1000 first print DVDs. Laurence Martin, our intrepid title sequence designer has also been the design maestro behind the t-shirt, the DVD cover, and the poster!
They (along with t-shirts and posters) are now available for pre-order on the website's Shop:
http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com/shop.html
Help us spread the love!!

Speaking of the website, please check out the redesigned, enhanced, and enriched BEIJING TAXI website! There are tons of fun goodies to browse through. Make sure to check out the Gallery section for some documentation of our secret production weapon;-) And visit The Music section to stream both the beautiful original score by Stephen Ulrich and Itamar Ziegler, and the impeccable soundtrack from four Beijing bands. Still to come on the website are the capability to purchase and download songs.
http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com/

If you plan to head down to Austin, or have some friends there, please spread the word for our screenings!
Monday, March 15, 02:30 PM @ G-Tech
Tuesday, March 16 11:15 AM @ Alamo Lamar 2
Friday, March 19, 11:00 AM @ Alamo Lamar 2

Join us also at the Beijing Invasion party we're co-hosting with Austin-based organization Dart Music International, and Beijing-based label Maybe Mars.
BEIJING INVASION Party at SXSW!
http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com/blog.html (flyer)
Introducing the world premiere of BEIJING TAXI, featuring special live performances by Beijing label MAYBE MARS recording artists AV OKUBO, CARSICK CARS, P.K.14, WHITE, AND XIAO HE
Sunday, March 14, 8p-2am
Mi Casa, 503 E. 6th Street

That's all the news for now! Please visit our website often or sign up on our mailing list to receive screenings and updates.
http://www.beijingtaxithefilm.com/mailinglist.html

Stay tuned for updates from the road in Austin! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

All my very best to you for your generous and continuing support,
Miao

A big congrats again to everyone who helped make the impossible happen!! This is what they call "crowd-funding!" :-) This campaign far exceeded my expectations, to raise the full $11,000 plus some in a very short 30 days!

I am working very hard on the final push before the festival premiere in a little less than a month. I'm looking forward to watching the beautiful final mastered print of the film projected on the big screen, made possible by all of you. Having a finished film in hand is a small end of a long journey that started over three years ago, yet it also marks the beginning of the next monumental challenge - getting the film out into the world!

Please do continue to spread the word for the film in any way you can. If you or someone you know would be interested to screen the film at your local festival, theatre, university or institution, please feel free to get in touch! I can be reached at: miao at beijingtaxithefilm.com.
Please sign up on our mailing list to stay in touch with upcoming screenings and events.
http://beijingtaxithefilm.com/contact.html

For anyone stumbling upon this page for the first time (or if anyone you know) would still like to make a contribution to the project, please consider a tax-deductible donation. The expenses related to distribution, marketing and promotions for the film is a huge chunk we're yet faced with.

For a tax-deductible donation, you can make the check payable to:
Women Make Movies - Beijing Taxi
Mail the check to:
Miao Wang
59 Newell Street, #3R, Brooklyn, NY 11222

All the very best,
Miao

First and foremost, I am truly touched by all the love, support, and faith in the project that has been flooding in!! I want to thank each one of you who have made a significant contribution to nudging this project to the finish line.

We're just a little under 60 hours to the pledge deadline!

Our Chinese word of the day:
加油！(pronounced Jia You!) means - "Step on the gas!" :-)

I know we can make it!!!
My warmest greetings to you all on this cold but sunny winter day here in my favorite City of Dreams,
Miao

Beijing Taxi: World Premiere at SXSW 2010 (March 12-21)!

Dear friends and supporters,

I am extremely excited to announce that BEIJING TAXI is one of only 8 films selected in the Documentary Feature Competition category at SXSW 2010!! We have been racing to prepare for our WORLD PREMIERE in Austin in March!

I want to extend my deepest thanks to all of you who have already made a pledge towards bringing this film to our premiere! Your generosity during these hard economic times is greatly appreciated!

http://www.indiewire.com/article/sxsw_film_festival_lineup/
http://www.sxsw.com/film/screenings/films/

More updates coming soon about screening times and a very exciting Beijing Invasion premiere party we're planning during SXSW!

Please spread the word about our festival premiere as well as the Kickstarter pledge as we approach the last 10 days of our campaign. EVERY DOLLAR of your pledge will go DIRECTLY to the post-production facility to finish the film and bring it to SXSW and other festivals to a location near you!

Cheers and onwards!
Miao