For Immediate Release
30 May 2003

ASIAN CINEVISION AND
THE ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
ANNOUNCE PRIZE TO BE AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE
IN MEDIA ARTS JOURNALISM

ANNUAL AWARD TO HONOR JOURNALIST AND
FORMER ACV EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BILL J. GEE

New York, NY - Risa Morimoto, Executive Director of Asian CineVision announced today, in association of the Asian American Journalists Association–New York Chapter, the establishment of the Bill J. Gee Award for Excellence in Media Arts Journalism. The $500 prize, to be awarded annually, will recognize excellence in writing by a professional journalist or critic that advances and illuminates the work of Asian Americans in the media arts.

The award honors the memory of Bill J. Gee, journalist and former Executive Director of Asian CineVision, who passed away in March 2003. Gee was the founding editor of CineVue, the critical media arts journal published by ACV. He was a founding member of the Asian American Journalists Association–New York Chapter.

Before he came to ACV in 1984, Bill Gee was a contributor to many Asian American cultural arts journals such as San Francisco's East/West and Boston's Sampan. He was a member of the editorial board of Bridge: An Asian American Perspective a publication that provided a forum for many Asian American voices in the arts.

Bill Gee was a fierce advocate of the Asian American media arts, championing emerging film and video makers. His work for ACV brought it to a new level of achievement and visibility as the leading media arts organization of its kind. Bill Gee served on numerous civic and cultural boards, but his passion was journalism.

An independent panel of distinguished writers, journalists, scholars and artists will review recommendations from other professionals for nominees.

The Bill J. Gee Award for Excellence in Media Arts Journalism will be presented at the 27th Asian American International Film Festival in 2004. The recipient will be expected to write an essay for publication.

About Asian CineVision
Asian CineVision, Inc. (ACV) is a not-for-profit national media arts organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Asian and Asian American media expressions. Since 1978, ACV has annually presented the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) to showcase cinema works by international artists of Asian descent. In addition to the festival, ACV's programs and services include film exhibitions, mentoring and educational outreach, training workshops, publications, and a media archive. ACV is based in New York City.

About Asian American Journalists Association
AAJA is a nonprofit organization with some 1,700 members working in print, broadcast and online. Formed 22 years ago, its mission is to encourage Asian Pacific Americans to enter the ranks of journalism to work for fair and accurate coverage of Asian Pacific Americans and to increase the number of Asian Pacific American journalists and news managers in the industry. The AAJA-New York chapter, with some 300 members, is the largest of the organization's 18 chapters in the United States and Asia.