Ali MacGraw to Kick off Awakening in Taos Event 9/28

World-renowned actress/activist Ali MacGraw will be in Taos to help promote Taos community awareness of, and fundraising for Awakening in Taos, a documentary for PBS about the important development of the Taos' Art Colony and the passionate lives of Mabel Dodge and Tony Lujan. To support this production and local co-creation of this film for release next summer, Ali will headline two events on September 28th.

• From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., people can participate in a film fund-raiser; where they can personally meet Ali and producers of the film. This event will be held at The Historic Taos Inn, where Mabel met Doc Martin on her first day in Taos. "Doc" is an iconic local character and physician, the namesake of Taos Inn's popular Doc Martin's Restaurant. The suggested contribution is a range of $50 to $500, and all funds will go to complete this documentary through the New West Media Foundation, a not for profit 501(c) 3 that raises money for the arts, humanities and films.

• 7 p.m. at the Harwood Museum Theatre, Ali will do a dramatic reading from Mabel Dodge Luhan's "Edge of Taos Desert: An Escape to Reality." At that event, Tony Lujan's great grandson Blue Spruce Standing Deer will sing traditional songs taught to him by Tony. A pre-release trailer and previews from Awakening in Taos will be screened. The producers will answer questions from the audience.

The one-hour documentary will be aired and distributed through national PBS Stations. Awakening in Taos is the untold story of Mabel Dodge, an independent, visionary American Woman in a time prior to women's emancipation and personal freedom. It is the 40-year love story of Dodge and Antonio (Tony) Lujan, a full-blooded Tiwa Indian from Taos Pueblo. Mabel Dodge Luhan is credited for attracting many Modernists to the Taos Colony of Artists, where she nurtured a new breed of American artists, writers and photographers. The most recognized figures include Georgia O'Keefe, Ansel Adams and D.H. Lawrence.

"This will be a very important documentary that illustrates one person's impact on the future of art and social issues in 20th Century America," said Mark Gordon, Awakening in Taos Producer. "We are in the final phases of production, and look forward to releasing the documentary next summer."

There are still a limited number of sponsorship opportunities in the film. For more information on tax-deductible donations, or to participate in the September 28th events, go to www.AwakeningInTaos.com or email info@awakeingingintaos.com. Awakening in Taos is a project of New West Media Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) 3 foundation for film, video and media arts.

The film is part of the Town of Taos celebration of The Remarkable Women of Taos and Northern New Mexico, a year-long celebration in 2012, the year New Mexico celebrates its centennial of statehood. For more information, go to http://www.Taos.org/women.

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