HOW DO I LOOK Project
by
WOLFGANG BUSCH
How Do I Look was created by artistic activist Wolfgang Busch to empower the Ballroom community, which we know of from the Madonna video "Vogue", "Truth or Dare" and the movie Paris is Burning. The Ballroom community is one of the most creative and hardest hit HIV/AIDS community and we tell the story "straight" out.
How Do I Look is a tool to showcase our talents, brings the Ballroom community together, gain artistic and human respect, provides hands on video production/post production training, improves the quality of life and sends HIV/AIDS awareness messages through the many we lost to AIDS and the ones living with HIV now.
How Do I Look shows that we are creative and professional individuals making educational contributions to society and we teach ballroom history to the up and coming ballroom children, the legends of the future. Their goal is to be voted into the Ballroom Hall of Fame one day and reach legendary status forever. We are sending strong HIV/AIDS awareness messages and make educational artistic contributions through entertainment. We believe that this is a great way to reach and teach communities and individuals of all races and ages worldwide. How Do I Look is an EduTainment / DocuFeature film. We educate through entertainment.
We are creating affiliations and partner-ships with educational not-for-profit organizations and individuals to support and to help us to send a strong HIV/AIDS awareness message.
We are setting up a college tour around the country to have panel discussions, exhibitions, talk about HIV/AIDS awareness, transgender and sex education and how we empower the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) artistic ballroom sub-culture by taking matters into our own hands.
Besides the movie we write artistic programs to teach vogue and we are setting up workshops with industry professionals to educate the ballroom children on transgender and health related issues, fashion, job preparation, referrals and how to produce a successful ball.
Commercial releases include: feature film, the making off, CD soundtrack, DVD, picture book and merchandising. We expect to empower 100 members from the Ballroom community with royalties from the How Do I Look movie project.
Award winning director, cinematographer and editor of How Do I Look is Wolfgang Busch; producer is Kevin Omni; staring: Jose Xtravaganza, dancer and vogue choreographer for Madonna; Octavia from Paris is Burning talks about the transgender experience; Luna Manolo Blahnik talks about his experience of contracting HIV at the age of 14 and still lives a full life at the age of 30; Jack Givenchy; Carmen and Hector Xtravaganza; Harmonica Sunbeam; Junior, Gerald and Portia Labeija; Mohammad and Taz Omni; DJ Carlton; Pony Blahnik and many more. Let's not forget the many ballroom legends we lost to AIDS such as Gerald Dupree Labeija, Ronnie Moschino, Fila Omni and Eriq Bazaar we lost in December of 2001.
We are in the early production stage and we are looking for funds and in kind support to help us to finish the movie. For more information you can go to our website at www.howdoilooknyc.org.
HOW DO I LOOKis the follow up of the international successful movie, "Paris is Burning", distributed by Miramax Films. How Do I Look continues where Paris is Burning left off. Since 1997, we have been documenting the "Balls", where the "Old School" and the "New School Legends" are competing in a safe and artistic environment at locations such as Harlem, the Bronx, Manhattan and Brooklyn. It has been that way since the 60's, when the "Balls" started in Harlem. The "children", members of the "Houses", compete for trophy's and cash money, representing their "House" and to become a "Legend" one day . Over the years, Legends turned individuality into an art form at the "Balls" like you can not see it anywhere else.
From an intellectual and cultural point of few, our goal is that this EduTainment/DocuFeature film and Empowerment project will bring our community closer together and will show that we are working with public officials, business owners and the communities at large. Our productions shows them our professionalism, talents, dedication and that we educate them about our commitments, issues and community contributions, such as fundraisers, stereotyping & health related issues.
Award winning director Wolfgang Busch was born and raised in Germany and has been in the "Ball" community since the mid 80's. Wolfgang has been documenting the ball scene since 1997 and received an appreciation award from the house of Omni for his support. Wolfgang won awards in directing, cinematography, editing, lights and sound. His talent is to tell his story by capturing the action and magical moments through the eye of the camera. "How Do I Look", was created by Wolfgang Busch as an empowerment project to help to empower the Black & Hispanic"Ball" community.
Producer Kevin Ultra Omni is a Legendary Legend, Icon with 160 trophies, Peer Educator and has been in the "Ball" community since 1980. The "House of Omni" has chapters across the country and is one of the oldest "House" in the United States. Also, he received the Lifetime achievement award as well as the hall of fame award. Kevin is also a Board member of Black Pride NYC. Kevin Omni is a host at parties for promoters such as James Saunders and Charles Jackson He is featured in the upcoming book "The Award Winning Men" written by Ed Karvoski, Jr. and has been featured in such media as: MTV News, New York Daily News, The Village Voice, The NY Times, Venus Magazine, and Vrij Nederland Magazine (Amsterdam, Europe).
Longtime activist, charity event coordinator, and outspoken promoter, Kevin Ultra Omni has set precedent for events informing and educating a large percentage of the gay community. Bringing reality and truth to the crisis of the HIV and AIDS epidemic.
. We are reaching out to you for financial & in-kind support. In return you receive credit in the film, free merchandise, invitations to screenings and cd soundtrack. Politicians, Churches, Community Agents and Business Merchants are very important to us, because they need to hear the "Ball children's" voices and concerns. The "Ball" community is the hardest hit HIV/AIDS community. The gap left behind reminds the survivors, how much we miss our lovers & friends, MIND, SPIRIT & SOULS. But not only that, the wounds take years to heal and the individuals can never be replaced.
Here is a glamorous opportunity to make a difference and help us to improve our quality of life. To produce an international successful film/documentary for the mainstream film audience and international film festivals, we need to raise production/post production funds to finish the empowerment project "How Do I Look". All the favorite categories and individuals are featured artistically and magically, showcasing the New and Old School Legends in their best light possible.
We have an investors/promotion package available upon request.
Thank you for your consideration and we are looking forward to meeting with you soon.
"How Do I Look"
Wolfgang Busch - 28-15 47th Street Astoria, NY 11103 - 718-726-0831
(all photos on this page were taken by WOLFGANG BUSCH)
