As in past years, organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City have been pleased to organize filmmaker panels and talks that allow audiences to learn more about the craft of making moving pictures through the perspectives of select artists whose works are showcased here. This year is no exception. We start off with a chat with key creatives of the narrative feature THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER, premiering in U.S. Narrative Competition; then, we examine the ramifications of the soon-to-be-released diversity in entertainment report compiled by the Asian American Media Coalition. Lots of ready stuff, we look forward to having you join us!
The 2023 edition of #APAParkCity will be held at the AAPI House at Riverhorse on Main, in the heart of Park City. The AAPI House is organized by the Sunrise Collective, a joint effort of 3AD, Gold House, and The Asian American Foundation. Learn more about the Sunrise Collective here.
PANELISTS: THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER…
SING J. LEE. | Director/Co-Writer
Sing J. Lee is an award-winning writer and director of Hong Kong descent, born in Manchester, U.K. With a background in music, illustration and animation, Lee’s early short films have garnered nominations including BBC Best of the North, which led to a decade-long foray in the music video and commercial space working with artists including Pharrell, Donald Glover, Alicia Keys, Rich Brian, Migos and Halsey, among others. Prevalent through all, is Lee’s distinct cultivation of visual language and exploration of themes of duality and human spirit. Sing is based in Los Angeles with his wife, Sylvia Zakhary.
DUSTIN NGUYEN | Actor
Affectionately referred to within Vietnam’s film industry as “the Vietnamese Clint Eastwood,” Dustin Nguyen is that rare actor that can traverse various genres with ease. His films have achieved box-office success as well as numerous top cinematic awards in Vietnam. The actor/director/producer is the only Vietnamese American that can currently work on both sides of the Atlantic with equal success. Nguyen saw traction when he signed a contract with daytime soap opera “General Hospital” where he began to study acting seriously. Dustin says, “It was like film school because I got to follow 22 different directors around and ask questions.” His big break came when he auditioned for “Magnum, P.I.” and landed the leading guest star role in a two-hour special. This eventually led him to his groundbreaking role on “21 Jump Street”.
Dustin was the first Asian American actor many had seen on prime-time television without an accent. Fans watched him every week without fail on “21 Jump Street” playing undercover detective, Harry Truman Ioki, with piercings, a long mullet and a leather jacket while riding a motorcycle. After he had wrapped four seasons of “21 Jump Street” Dustin booked more film and television roles including “VIP”; GENTLE, a Vietnamese adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s A GENTLE CREATURE; and Universal Pictures’ sequel to THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS.
In 2005, Dustin starred in the Australian drama LITTLE FISH opposite Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and went on to become the number-one film in Australia. Dustin starred in Justin Lin’s film FINISHING THE GAME (2008), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; and the Vietnamese blockbuster THE REBEL (2007), a French-Vietnamese 1920’s period action-drama that marked his first return to Vietnam in 32 years. In 2011, Dustin was awarded Best Actor at the Vietnamese International Film Festival for his performance Delta in FLOATING LIVES. In 2013, he made his directorial debut with ONCE UPON A TIME IN VIETNAM — the first fantasy-martial-arts-drama in Vietnam. In 2009, Dustin starred in the multi-award-winning THE LEGEND IS ALIVE. Dustin recently starred in Universal 1440 Entertainment’s 47 Ronin Sequel as Lord Nikko, the leader of one of the samurai clans. The film, shot in Budapest and directed by Ron Yuan, is currently streaming on Netflix. On the television front, Dustin has been starring in and directing Justin Lin’s series “Warrior,” which has just wrapped shooting season 3 and slated for streaming on HBO Max. Additionally, Dustin’s martial arts expertise was fully showcased in 2000 when he starred in a Levi’s Jeans’ European “Hero” campaign, which expanded upon his ever-growing international profile.
Though Nguyen credits Asian American actors before him like Clyde Kusatsu as key influences, it’s not lost on him that he is one of the reasons current Asiana American actors are now receiving the visibility they deserve. With this new age of Asian American representation in film and television that Nguyen helped pioneer, the scene is set for his return.
Dustin currently lives in Hawaii with his wife, Bebe Pham, and their four children.
JES VU | Co-Producer
Jes Vũ is the Co-Producer on Sing J. Lee’s The Accidental Getaway Driver. A proud child of Vietnamese refugees, Jes grew up on an unhealthy dose of hoagies, cheesesteaks and Eagles football outside the suburbs of Philly before spending her undergrad in the nation’s capital at American University. She served as one of the Story & Cultural Consultant for Disney Animation’s RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON as part of their Southeast Asia Story Trust. Jes has dabbled in the publishing and literary world and was the Project Manager and contributor for RISE: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now (published by HarperCollins) and through CAPE and MTV Books, she co-curated and co-edited My Life: Growing Up Asian in America, a non-fiction anthology of essays. Currently, she is the Communications Manager at CAPE, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization that champions inclusion by connecting, educating, and empowering Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and leaders in entertainment media. She also serves on the Board for VAALA (Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association) and is a producer of Southern Fried Asian, a podcast under The Nerds of Color, which profiles the diversity of Asian Americans from the American South.
ANDERSON LE | Moderator
Anderson Le diligently works in the global promotion of independent and world cinema as Artistic Director of the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF). In addition to his duties at HIFF, Le also serves as a program consultant for several film festivals including the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, focusing on international and gala presentations; the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, where he is in charge of the annual documentary sidebar and Southeast Asian selections; and Singapore International Film Festival with a focus on gala presentations and North American selections. Le was the international programmer for Comcast, working in providing monthly content for Xfinity on Demand with a focus on Asian and Asian American content. He was also a founding member of Hollywood director Justin Lin’s culture blog turned digital studio YOMYOMF, helped launching a successful Youtube channel with $2.5 million Google funding for original content. Currently, Le is a member of U.S./Vietnam joint venture called EAST, a new production company to focus on developing genre cinema for Southeast Asian markets, series for SVOD and OTTs, and prestige films that exemplify the emerging and dynamic talent of the Vietnamese diaspora.
PANELISTS: BIRD’S EYE VIEW / WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON…
DAVID MAGDAEL
With over two decades in PR/marketing for award winning documentary films, indie features and broadcast content, David Magdael and his company David Magdael & Associates have become an important leader in the field. From Oscar®/awards campaigns to theatrical releases to broadcast premieres, Magdael is one of the top media strategists in entertainment. He’s a longtime member of AMPAS and is the co-director of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival since 1997. He has served as a mentor at the Sundance Institute Docu Producers Lab, Global Media Makers and with other media organizations sharing his expertise and knowledge.
Films include: BAD AXE; FREE CHOL SOO LEE; MIDWIVES; TIKTOK BOOM; BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY; WHO WE ARE – A CHRONICLE OF RACISM IN AMERICA; THE NEUTRAL GROUND; TRY HARDER!; PRAY AWAY; IN THE SAME BREATH; FAYA DAYI; ASCENSION; THE MOLE AGENT; WRITING WITH FIRE; THE QUEEN OF BASKETBALL; WHEN WE WERE BULLIES; LIKE A ROLLING STONE – THE LIFE & TIMES OF BEN FONG TORRES; 76 DAYS; WUHAN WUHAN; LOWNDES COUNTY – THE ROAD TO BLACK POWER; A THOUSAND CUTS; MR. SOUL!; MUCHO MUCHO AMOR; SOFTIE; FOR SAMA; 63 UP; MINDING THE GAP; ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL; TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM; QUEST; THE DISTANT BARKING OF DOGS; SCIENCE FAIR; LA 92; THE SQUARE; MIDNIGHT FAMILY; THE APOLLO; CONCERTO IS A CONVERSATION; WALK RUN CHA CHA; ERNIE & JOE; HALSTON; MCQUEEN; UNITED SKATES; CHARM CITY; MAD HOT BALLROOM; TROUBLE THE WATER; SUPER SIZE ME and more.
MICHELLE SUGIHARA
Michelle K. Sugihara is the Executive Director of CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment). She is also an entertainment attorney, film producer, and adjunct professor for the Claremont Colleges’ Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies. She is also an associate member of Cold Tofu, the nation’s premier Asian American comedy improv and sketch group. An avid public speaker, Michelle speaks and teaches across the country on various topics including Representation in Media; Women in Entertainment; Diversity and Inclusion; Leadership; and Improv for Non-Actors. IG: @capeusa; @michsugi
MILTON LIU
Milton Liu, a recent cancer survivor, was born in Kansas but raised in Chicago (explains the terrible accent). He co-founded Kulture Machine (the first ProdCo listed in Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Indie Film), producing Student Academy Award winner JESUS HENRY CHRIST and the feature FIREFLIES IN THE GARDEN starring Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Emily Watson and Willem Dafoe. A Tribeca Feature Screenplay Winner, Disney Feature Fellow and Fox TV Writing Fellow, Milton created the web feature AWESOME ASIAN BAD GUYS, webseries JOHN HUGHES RUINED MY LIFE and short doc I HATE BIG PHONY. He most recently associate produced the features LUCKY GRANDMA and LOVE & BUSKING, produced the short FROM HERE with Jenna Ushkowitz and starring Samantha Futerman, and wrote the Web3 series MILO THE BORED APE.
Milton is the Interim Executive Director of the Asian American Media Alliance, the former Director of Programs & Artist Services at Visual Communications (Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival), the former Executive Director of Giant Leap Media, member of the WGA/west and a Big Brother Mentor for the past six years. He is represented by Julie Bloom of Art/Work Entertainment and Ben Rubinfeld of Ziffren Brittenham.
MINJI CHANG | Moderator
asianpacificfilmexperience.org 