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ASIAN PACIFIC FILMMAKERS EXPERIENCE RETURNS TO AUSTIN FOR 6th TIME AT OFFICIAL SXSW ’24 LISTING!

APFE “Roll Call” Group Photo at the 6th Edition of the APFE @ SXSW “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Palm Door on Sixth in Austin, Texas, alongside the Taiwan Beats Day Music Showcase in the heart of SXSW activities. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.

By Laarni Rosca Dacanay

On March 12, 2024, the 2024 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) @ SXSW celebrated six years at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) by recognizing AANHPI filmmakers, storytellers, creatives and community leaders at a fun and engaging networking reception. This year, the event was also an official SXSW listing!

Co-hosted with local lead partner, the Austin Asian American Film Festival, in conjunction with the Taiwan Beats Showcase Day Party, the festive event was held at Palm Door on Sixth, where over 200 creatives, industry executives, SXSW filmmakers, influencers, local Austin and Texas-area AANHPI filmmakers, community leaders, and AANHPI allies and supporters, gathered for informal networking and connecting.

Noted attendees included six-time SXSW musical artist and documentary film subject “Big Phony” (Bobby Choy); local filmmaker, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences member and AMPAS AANHPI Affinity Group Leader PJ Raval; actor Olivia Liang (Kung Fu); writer/producer Cherish Chen (RocketJump Film School), and actor Jordan Rodrigues (We’re All Gonna Die). Attendees were treated to drinks and Asian snacks courtesy of APFE from Asahi Imports – Austin’s only exclusively Japanese market. Guests also heard from SXSW filmmakers Nicole Chi (Los Mosquitos), Chi Thai (Lullaby), Mackie Mallison (Live From The Clouds) – who were invited on stage to share more about their projects. Thank you shout outs were given to SXSW’s James Minor (VP of Music Festival) and Stacie Cline (Music Festival Venues Manager).  Kudos was also given to 2024 APFE partners, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), Warner Bros. Access and NBCUniversal LAUNCH, for whose support makes events like this possible.

Austin Asian American Film Festival staffers Casie Luong (left) and Jacky Zhu welcome guests to the APFE@SXSW 2024 event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
Guests arrive at the APFE@SXSW networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
View of guests from stage at APFE@SXSW networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
Milton Liu (Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance, APFE Leader & WGA Member, left) with guests Olivia Liang (Filmmaker & Actor, KUNG FU), Jordan Rodrigues (Actor, LADY BIRD, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE), Albert Wang (Filmmaker), Cherish Chen (Writer & Producer, ROCKETJUMP FILM SCHOOL) and Ashim Ahuja (Producer, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE) at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event.  Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
Milton Liu (Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance, APFE Leader & WGA Member, 2nd from left) and Laarni Rosca Dacanay (Chair, PBS SoCal Community Advisory Board, APFE Leader & Television Academy Member, far right) with noted guests, Nicki Sun (Filmmaker & Actor, 3rd from left), Michelle Sun (Actor, middle), Patricia Ratulangi (VP, Global Communications – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Nielsen, 5th from left) and Dino-Ray Ramos (Journalist, Founder/Editor-in-Chief Diaspora and GLAAD Consultant, 2nd from right), at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
Filmmaker Mackie Mallison (center) on stage at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event, with Hanna Huang (Executive Director, Austin Asian American Film Festival, far left), filmmaker Chi Thai (second from right) and David Magdael (Publicist, Producer, Social Justice Leader & Founder, Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, far right) looking on. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
Hanna Huang (Executive Director, Austin Asian American Film Festival, left), David Magdael (Publicist, Producer, Social Justice Leader & Founder, Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, center) and Milton Liu (Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance, APFE Leader & WGA Member), welcoming guests and thanking local lead partner AAAFF at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.

Other festival highlights include these SXSW Asian Voices, A-Doc and Indie Meme’s Guide to South Asian Films. The 2024 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Austin was another success. Stay tuned for more information as the team heads into May’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month with events at the 40th Edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and CAAMFest – and the Tribeca Film Festival with Asian CineVision in June!

Be sure to follow APFE (@apfexp) on Instagram!

See more photos from Roger Ho (@rohofoto).
Watch footage from Fumiya Hayakawa.

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