George Takei to appear at American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs
Actor and LGBTQ activist George Takei will appear as a special guest at the American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs, festival organizers announced today.
Takei will appear at the festival’s April 6 opening night event at Palm Springs’ Camelot Theatres.
The seventh annual festival will open with “Allegiance to Broadway,” which chronicles the making of a Broadway musical based on Takei’s true-to-life experiences growing up in World War II Japanese internment camps.
Takei, who gained fame for his role as Lieutenant Sulu in the “Star Trek” television series and movies, will be presented with the festival’s Rozene Supple Humanitarian Award and will take part in a question-and-answer session with director Greg Vander Veer.
“At a time when the ugly echoes of fear and racial prejudice once again grow louder with each passing day, remembering our history becomes critical,” Takei said. “Pearl Harbor and WWII put our country to the test, and while we as a nation rose up to the challenge and fought our enemies abroad, sadly we also turned against our own at home and inflicted on our fellow citizens an injustice and should never be forgotten. How terrible it is to contemplate, once again, that division. That cannot happen again.”
More than 170 films will be featured at the festival, which will also feature industry panel sessions and the Film Fund Competition, which awards up to $50,000 to independent filmmakers competing for financing for their projects. The festival will be held from April 6-14 at theaters in Palm
Springs, Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage.
Opening night tickets are available here.
