Long Awaited Cool Disco Dan Documentary to Arrive in Feb

D.C.!!!!!!

Guess what yall!!!! It’s FINALLY HERE! We no longer have to wait! The Cool Disco Dan documentary is done, finalized and will premiere next month at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD. It was nearly five years ago I caught a wiff that a documentary was in the works. I reached out to the film’s director and a confidant of Cool Disco Dan, Roger Gastman. At first pitch, he turned me down. He, Dan or anyone involved with the film weren’t ready to fully disclose the contents. I have to admit I was heartbroken, but I respected Gastman’s wishes to let it go…for the moment.

A year later saw me at my internship turned freelancing at The Washington City Paper (WCP) . I couldn’t let the idea of reaching out to interview Cool Disco Dan go. I mean… yeah.. as an 80s child that grew up in D.C. I couldn’t let an icon so close slip through my fingers. It was just my luck that Cool Disco Dan “camp” was ready to talk. So I did my [narrative] update about Dan and the documentary for the Arts Desk Blog of WCP.  A year after that, Gastman reached out to me for two things; his visit with the Corcoran Gallery and to invite me to a special viewing of the raw footage of the documentary. That was an honor that I wrote about in my post Waiting For It: Update on Disco Dan Documentary. Out of respect for Gastman and the film, I didn’t say too much (if anything) about the details of the film, except to say that the raw footage gave insight on the history of go-go, how graffiti and tagging co-mingled with the culture of go-go music and how Cool Disco Dan fit into the grand picture of things. I’m assuming that’s what the final cut will prove sans the over hefty back story of it all. I hope that Gastman and crew give you just enough for 90s mins so you can still make the connection and see how Disco Dan fit in.

It’s now 2013 and a few hours ago Gastman dropped the trailer to the documentary along with the exciting news that the film will finally be shown to the public!!! I am so excited for the release of this film. I have to thank Gastman and Dan for allowing me to play a small part in reporting about it and including me as an invited guest to see the raw footage and give feedback on how to tweak it. In a small way, I feel like I’m a part of D.C. history with this. So as you can imagine, I feel a closeness with this project. Thanks Roger.

I encourage each of you to view the film and see how part of our art history has been captured on film.  The film will be shown February 23rd at the AFI Silver Theatre.  For film and ticket details visit AFI Silver Theatre website. 

Trailer is below

Tagged: african-american, Cool "Disco" Dan, journalism, washington city paper, Washington DC

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