Every Day Is a Holiday is playing on over 60 public television stations – on the World Compass channels – Over 60 stations, Friday, May 3 at 6pm and 9pm, Sunday May 5 at 7pm and Monday at 11am. See the map below for a station near you.

Some digital channels where Every Day Is a Holiday is playing

For more information about the film, including how to purchase a DVD for educational or home viewing, please sign up for our mailing list

Of course, I would love to see you tomorrow at the Montclair Film Festival! Sat. May 4 at 11:15am. Bus information here

Dr. Paul Loong, WWII POW, Korean War veteran, doctor and subject of documentary ‘Every Day Is a Holiday,’ will give a live talk after a screening at the Montclair Film Festival’s spotlight on New Jersey films.

Contact: Theresa Loong
Tel: 718-496-4964
e-mail: Theresa@everydayisaholiday.org

How does a Malaysian-born RAF veteran get from prisoner-of-war camps in Japan to the NJ suburbs?

On May 4th, at the Montclair Film Festival, Dr. Paul Loong will answer that question, which involves oil tankers; arbitrary immigration bureaucrats; the US Army in the Korean War; a compassionate Congressman; Italian medical school; and the East Orange VA hospital.

Documentary filmmaker Theresa Loong was able to gradually pry the full story from Dr. Loong, her father, after discovering the wartime diary he’d kept secret — first from his Japanese captors, then his family — for over 60 years.

Ms. Loong’s questions grew into the documentary “Every Day Is a Holiday,” a title taken from a diary entry during a bleak time in Dr. Loong’s imprisonment, where he swore that if he survived as a free man,
“Every day would be a holiday.”

The film, previously broadcast on over 200 PBS stations, traces Dr. Loong’s journey through visits to former POW camps in Japan, wartime artifacts, archival documents, and interviews. It is featured in the Montclair Film Festival’s spotlight on movies featuring NJ filmmakers and subjects.

Dr. Loong, director Theresa Loong, executive producer Bill Einreinhofer and editor Kristen Nutile will comment on the film and answer audience questions after a screening of ‘Every Day Is a Holiday’ May 4, 11:15 am at the Clairidge Cinema, 486 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair, NJ., Tickets can be purchased through the Montclair Film Festival.

Director Theresa Loong is an award-winning multimedia multimedia director and producer, and founder of the interactive production company, FORM360, which provides editorial and strategic consulting services. For further information about ‘Every Day Is a Holiday,’  including information about the DVD, visit http://www.everydayisaholiday.org.

Download PDF for Every Day Is a Holiday Montclair Press Release here

Heading to Houston and Austin March 15-17! I will be screening Every Day Is a Holiday and speaking in Houston to this great group: USS HOUSTON (CA-30) Survivors Association and the Next Generations.

On April 17 at 6pm, I will be screening Every Day Is a Holiday at the Flushing Public Library in Queens, NY, as part of Immigrant Heritage Week.

For more information about the film, including how to purchase a DVD for educational or home viewing, please sign up for our mailing list

For current showtimes in your area, please type in your zip code.

Every Day Is a Holiday streamed online as part of a Social Screening series, on Sunday, June 17 at 3pm EST. Read the chat transcript with Dr. Loong and special guests, including ex-POW Eddie Fung and Professor Judy Yung.
http://ovee.itvs.org/screenings/b585i

Many thanks to Steve Goldbloom at ITVS, Eddie Fung, Judy Yung, Craig Cornwell and Karin Pekarchik at KET.

The film also played:
– in FLORIDA (WGCU Create & Encore) on May 4th at 7pm,
– in INDIANA (WTIU) on May 6th at 3pm,
– in S. & Central CALIFORNIA (hello LA!) (KCET) on May 6th at 11pm
– in MILWAUKEE, WI (MPTV) on May 7th at 8am
-Rhode Island PBS, Monday, May 7 @ 10pm
-KVIE/Sacramento, Monday, May 7 @ 11pm
-Nashville/WNPT, Monday, May 7 @ 11pm
-KLRU/Austin, Thursday, May 10 @ 9pm
-KQED/San Francisco, Saturday, May 12 @ 6pm
-KUAT Tucson/PBS HD Monday, May 14 @ 11pm
-WXEL/West Palm Beach, Wednesday, May 16 @ 1pm
-DPTV HD/Detroit, Thursday, May 17 @ 11pm
-Rocky Mountain PBS, Sunday, May 20 @ 4pm
-WHRO/Norfolk, Thursday, May 24 @ 9pm
-WNET/New York City, Sunday, May 27 @ 2:30pm
-WQED/Pittsburgh, Sunday, May 27 @ 4pm
-KET Kentucky, Sunday, May 27 @ 5pm
-WLIW21, Sunday, May 27 @ 5:30pm
-KCTS/Seattle, Sunday, May 27 @ 11pm
-KET Kentucky, Monday, May 28 @ 9pm
-KLRN/San Antonio, Thursday, May 31 @ 9pm
-PBS Hawaii, Thursday, May 31 @ 10pm
-WLIW21, Friday, June 1 @ 4:00am (yes, that’s AM; it’s being rebroadcast!)
-UNC-MX/Raleigh-Durham, Tuesday, June 12 @ 9pm
-KRCB 22.1 San Francisco/San Jose/Oakland, Thursday, June 14 @ 9pm
-KCSM/San Francisco, Sunday, June 17 @ 9pm
-KUHT/Houston on Monday, June 25 @ 9am (yes, that’s AM)
-WQED/Pittsburgh, Sunday, 7/01 @ 5pm
-WHUT/Washington, DC, Tuesday 7/17 @ 8pm
-WHUT/Washington, DC, Wednesday 7/18 @ midnight
-Oregon Public Broadcasting/Bend, Tuesday, July 24 @ 8pm
-Oregon Public Broadcasting/Portland, Eugene, Bend, Wednesday, July 25 @ 5am
-Alaska One HD, Tuesday, 9/4/12, 9:00pm AKDT (That’s Alaska Daylight Time)
-KUAC HD, Tuesday, 9/4/12, 10:00pm
-Alaska One HD, Wednesday, 9/5/12, 3:00am AKDT
-WHUT, Washington DC, Thursday, 1/31/13, 10pm

-World Compass channels – Over 60 stations, Friday, May 11 at 5am, 11am, and 6pm.

You can CHECK OUT the list of broadcast premiere dates here:
http://itvs.org/television?film=every-day-is-a-holiday

NOTE: Check local listings for additional dates & times as multiple broadcasts will take place on each local channel throughout the month…

If you don’t see a listing, or missed a broadcast, please contact your local public television station and request a screening.

Click Here to Launch the Archive of the Chat with Panelists: Ex-POW Dr. Paul Loong, Ex-POW, Eddie Fung, Professor Judy Yung, Director Theresa Loong and other special guests!
http://ovee.itvs.org/screenings/b585i/

While growing up in suburban New Jersey, Chinese-American filmmaker Theresa Loong knew little about her father’s past. Then, one day she discovered his secret diary, written when he was a teenager and POW in a Japanese work camp during World War II. In it, he vowed to make “every day a holiday” if he ever survived. Told through her eyes, EVERY DAY IS A HOLIDAY tells the painful but life-affirming story of her father’s unlikely journey, from Chinese Malay teenager and Japanese POW, to merchant seaman, Veterans Affairs doctor and naturalized citizen of the country that liberated him: the United States. Using intimate conversations, rare archival footage and his wartime diary, the film traces how, through sheer strength of will, Paul Loong overcomes the horrors of war and obstacles as an immigrant, making “every day a holiday”.

Happy to discuss crowdfunding with the cARTwheel Initiative‘s founder Ashok Sinha, Natalia Duong (artistic director, Project Agent Orange), Joyce Manalo (founding curator, FABnyc ArtUp and ArtForward) and awesome moderator Matthew Deleget (founder, Minus Space).

Some takeaways: Think about emailing small groups of ten people and putting everyone’s email address in the To: field instead of blind copying to help with positive peer pressure about your campaign. Utilize Hoot Suite or other social media management tool (any suggestions?). Remember to use the telephone and reach out to your funders. Go to The Foundation Center and utilize their great resources.

I look forward to attending the crowdsourcing workshop. More information here:
http://aaartsalliance.org/page/produce-it-yourself

Crowdfunding how-to here:
http://www.everydayisaholiday.org/crowdfunding-kickstarter-how-to-with-a-nod-to-indiegogo/

ITVS contracted with Every Day Is a Holiday! Here’s the link. Sachi Schuricht (who made a great documentary about speedcubing) interviewed me: http://beyondthebox.org/newly-contracted-itvs-announces-funding-for-every-day-is-a-holiday/

I’m so thrilled to have the support of ITVS and my station partner, Kentucky Educational Television (KET). Stay tuned for local and national television broadcast dates!

The only catch is that I still need to raise a remaining $23600, to close my funding gap. These funds are needed to cover expenses such as post-production (ex : sound design, graphic animation, color correction), archival licensing and promotion/outreach. You can help me bridge that gap in three ways:

1) make a tax-deductible charitable donation through this Women Make Movies link:
http://www.wmm.com/filmmakers/sponsored_projects.shtml#473

2) introduce me to friends or partners who could be interested in supporting the project

3) encourage people to like my page on FB

As you may know, this adventure has been going on for a number of years. I am in the “home stretch” and I am very grateful for your support and generosity.

Join our roster of donors!

Thank you.

In response to people asking me how I created my Kickstarter campaign, I offer you this Google Doc called “Raising Funds on Kickstarter”:

Quick background:
Last year, I was skeptical that anyone would be able to raise more than $10,000 on a crowdfunding site. My friend Ned Gubbins spoke with the folks at Touscoprod (a European version of Kickstarter and IndieGoGo) as well as a European representative of Facebook. The document includes his methodology and my edits, as well as advice from various people. Best of luck with your campaign!

Ned produced this film:
(No) Laughing Matter – the Film (Blagues à part)
Ned built the film’s FB fans to over 1000 during the course of the campaign
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96271850996
Raised: 25,370€
419 coproducers
http://www.touscoprod.com/pages/projet/fiche.php?s_id=503
Btw, Ned still needs help with distribution contacts here in the U.S.
nolaughingmatter@eoproductions.net

Also I’m a member of a film collective called The FilmShop. We’ve raised about $140,000 for our individual projects on both KS and IndieGoGo thus far. See examples here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2094903991/a-regeneration-a-unique-documentary-from-leave-it/
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/412656220/vegucated-documentary
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1819373046/the-musicwood-documentary
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1562349006/the-reiss-disorder-feature-film
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/836643438/the-commonwealth-over-and-out-music-video
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/903394656/flag-football-a-documentary-about-gay-bowl-x-and-t-0
http://www.indiegogo.com/jerusalem
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1313570620/how-to-lose-your-virginity-help-our-documentary-go

Please share your success stories with me!

Every Day Is a Holiday received $11,445 in pledges from the Kickstarter campaign, which ended recently. Thanks so much for your generous support.

There is still time to donate to our overall campaign via our Support and Donate page. Help us unlock the matching funds from ITVS!

The palindrome has been vanquished!

As you know, the Independent Television Service (ITVS) has green-lit our film and will provide $79,000 towards the completion of the film if we can raise the revised number of $34,496. A big, big thank you to donors who provided an end-of-year push.

Now, we will be raising some of these funds through a crowd-sourcing web site called KICKSTARTER.

Help us meet the challenge! And score tickets to the premiere, an exclusive interview from the director, your name in the credits, and more!

And a big thanks to Annie Li! Annie is a student at Harvard and participated in this year’s January Experience program, since Harvard now has exams prior to winter break. She was instrumental in the launch of the Kickstarter campaign. Annie also created a documentary about the effects of the earthquake in Sichuan, China. Laura Wu is also helping with the campaign; I’ll introduce her in a later post.