This evening's program illuminates the visionary work and creative process of Bay Area filmmaker and UC Berkeley professor Loni Ding. An on-stage interview by writer and producer Barbara Abrash (Center for Media, Culture and History, NYU) will provide a valuable opportunity for insight into the internationally recognized commitment and artistry of this trailblazing independent filmmaker. Selections from Ding's distinguished body of work over almost thirty years will illustrate the interview.Among Ding's television series and films are: 600 Millennia: China's History Unearthed, Bean Sprouts (a children's series on multicultural identity), Willie Lobo: Manchild, and Nisei Soldier and The Color of Honor, exploring the dilemmas faced by Japanese American soldiers serving in World War II. Ancestors in the Americas is her masterwork, the untold history and legacy of early Asian immigrants to the Americas. Her productions have received multiple Emmy awards and screened at international film festivals, and she has received numerous career awards. "Loni Ding is that rare artist who entwines twin passions for social justice and the 'true facts' of history in films that are works of hard-hitting revelation and lyrical beauty."-Barbara Abrash