A still from TRY HARDER! by Debbie Lum, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Mario Furloni.
Park City 2021 from home? When the organizers of the 2020 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City descended upon the site of the annual Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals a year ago this week, no one could have predicted that this would be the last time we would see one another for a long time. Indeed, the triple whammy of a global pandemic, a long-overdue national reckoning on racial inequity, and the most vitriolic presidential election EVER has conspired to compel the American cinematic arts community to re-imagine a safer, saner, and yes, a more egalitarian movie-watching and filmmaker celebratory experience.
With that, the organizers of the Experience bring you our 2021 edition, the 2021 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in (Virtual) Park City. Through a series of online chats, discussions, and partnerships among a broad range of constituents throughout the Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmaking community, we aim to innovate, integrate, and cultivate both emerging and established storytellers, and additionally adapt technology to fulfill our mission to celebrate and foreground our communities’ cinematic artists.
Though this year’s class of artists from the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals, set for January 28 through February 3, is a bit slimmer than in past years — in deference to a slimmer, more socially-distanced and health-conscious program slate for both festivals — we are pleased to welcome both old friends as well as exciting newcomers. Award-winning Sundance veterans Nina Yang Bongiovi (PASSING), Kan-min Kim (KKUM), and Nanfu Wang (IN THE SAME BREATH) are joined with a host of veteran cinematic voices who have made their mark at other festivals including Ciara Lacy (THIS IS THE WAY WE RISE), Grace Lee (BEYOND THE BREAKDOWN), Debbie Lum (TRY HARDER), Baz Poonpiriya (ONE FOR THE ROAD), the team of Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas (WRITING WITH FIRE), Christopher Makoto Yogi (I WAS A SIMPLE MAN), and perhaps for the first time ever in Park City, the inimitable Sion Sono (PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND). And we welcome to (virtual) Park City a host of new voices including Sonny Calvento (EXCUSE ME, MISS! MISS! MISS!), Julian Doan (RASPBERRY), Youmin Kang (AVA FROM MY CLASS), Sasha Lee (MISERY LOVES COMPANY), Alisa (Mehta) Tejpal (LATA), Erick Oh (NAMOO), Jason Park (BJ’S MOBILE GIFT SHOP), Phạm Ngọc Lân (THE UNSEEN RIVER), and Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (MOUNTAIN CAT).
Not to be outdone, this year’s Slamdance Film Festival likewise affords a wide berth for Asian American and Pacific Islander artists (due to scheduling quirks, this year’s edition is slated for February 12 through 25). In addition to the Park City premiere of Taiwanese director KEFF’s dystopian Cannes Film Festival featurette TAIPEI SUICIDE STORY), the program slate includes award-winning festival veterans Sheldon Chau (FLYING EGGS), Elizabeth Lo (ABOUT A HOME), and Alisa Yang (SLEEPING WITH THE DEVIL). Also showcased are Daniel Chien (ABOUT A HOME), the prolific Shaina Ghuraya (HUMAN HELPER and I WISH I NEVER), the team of Haomin Peng, Yue Huang, and Yuchao Luo (RETURN TO THE PEACH BLOSSOM WONDERLAND), Annapurna Kumar (SOMETHING TO TREASURE), Courtney Loo (POST OFFICE), Suneil Sanzgiri (LETTER FROM YOUR FAR-OFF COUNTRY), Jocelyn Tamayao (THE BIN), Jordan Wong (MOUNTAIN LODGE), and Yujie Xu (WHITE HORSE).
For a complete list of Park City 2021 artists, click here
For a rundown of #APAParkCity2021 events, go to here
asianpacificfilmexperience.org 