APFE Celebrates 21st Edition in Park City
By Milton Liu
The Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) made a triumphant return to its roots in Park City, Utah, for its 21st edition, coinciding with the opening weekend of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
The evening was a vibrant celebration of community and storytelling, beginning with a warm welcome by Ianeta Le’i, Senior Manager, Indigenous Programs, Sundance Institute (pictured below, Photo Credit: Andrew Ge).
The evening continued with a dynamic and engaging filmmaker panel, moderated by Don Young (Director of Programs, Center for Asian American Media). The discussion featured Andrew Ahn (The Wedding Banquet), Meera Menon (Didn’t Die) and Chheangkea (Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites - WINNER, SHORT FILM JURY AWARD: INTERNATIONAL FICTION).
Don Young (left), Andrew Ahn, Meera Menon, Chheangkea. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.
Guests then heard from Tadashi Nakamura (Third Act) who spoke about his documentary’s Sundance premiere earlier that day and honored his father, Robert A. Nakamura, widely regarded as the “Godfather of Asian American Media” and co-founder of Visual Communications. Executive Director, Visual Communications, Francis Cullado, presented the “2025 Irene Cho Pioneer Award” to Robert A. Nakamura, recognizing his groundbreaking contributions to film, his leadership as a trailblazer in the Asian Pacific American community, and his unwavering dedication to amplifying marginalized voices and diverse talent in the industry.
Robert A. Nakamura (left) and Tadashi Nakamura. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.
Named in honor of one of the original founders of the APFE event – Irene Cho – who passed away unexpectedly in 2017. The award celebrates her legacy and commitment to uplifting API filmmakers. Presented in Cho’s memory, the award recognizes an artist, creator, or industry leader who embodies APFE’s mission of supporting API storytellers through resource-building, networking, consulting, and inspiration. Past recipients of the “Irene Cho Pioneer Award” include: Kim Yutani (Director, Programming, Sundance Institute), Nina Yang Bongiovi (Producer), Jean Tsien (Documentary Filmmaker), Visual Communications (Producer of the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival) and David Magdael (Publicist, Producer and Social Impact Leader).
Held on Sunday, January 26 at Alpine Distilling, the event welcomed a full house, featuring delicious bites by local AAPI-owned Pretty Bird Hot Chicken by Chef Viet Pham and a specially curated beverage menu. As a parting gift, guests received a special Lunar New Year “Hope You Get Rich” red envelope from Ronny Chieng.
Notable guests included: Chef Christine Ha (Master Chef), Bao Nguyen (Director, The Stringer), Perry Yung (Actor, BUNNYLOVR), Jack Song (VP, SF Film Commission), Evan Louie (Founder, Asian Pacific Joint Venture), Dave Liu (EP, Didi), Weiko Lin (Screenwriter), Jenny Yang (Actor, The Brothers Sun), Jennifer Phang (Director, The Descendents).
A heartfelt thank you to our 21st Edition Partners, Warner Bros. Discovery Access and NBCUniversal Launch, whose support made this event possible. Additional gratitude to the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) and Scriptini for their invaluable contributions.
(from left to right) APFE Organizers Kenny Ng (CAPE), Rhian Moore (CAPE), David Magdael (David Magdael & Associates), Porter Duong, Minji Chang (Kollaboration), Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Michelle Sugihara (CAPE), Francis Cullado (Visual Communications), Milton Liu (Asian American Media Alliance). Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.
A huge thank you to everyone who braved the snowy Park City weather and filled the room with inspiration. Endless gratitude to the entire APFE team for your tireless (and volunteer) efforts in bringing the 21st Edition to life. Thank you to Chef Viet Pham and Pretty Bird Hot Chicken for the deliciousness, Andrew Ge for beautifully capturing the moments, and Sara Sergent, Xania Woodman, and the entire Alpine Distilling staff for their outstanding hospitality!
And, congratulations to panelist Chheangkea (Director/Writer, Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites), winner of this year’s Sundance Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction!
Click here for more photos from the event. Please credit our photographer Andrew Ge (@agecamera) and tag us at @APFExp and #APFE on social media!
Learn more about the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience and how it all began in 2002, and the organizations who make APFE possible:
CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)
Stay tuned for more APFE events in 2025 – next stop, SXSW in Austin, Texas, in partnership with the Austin Asian American Film Festival, we can’t wait to see y’all!
Be sure to follow APFE (@apfexp) on Instagram for more updates.
Guests celebrating at the 21st Edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.
ABOUT APFE: Established in 2002 in Park City, Utah to honor and recognize the cinematic artists whose works premiered at the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience foregrounds and celebrates the creative products of Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Asian international cinema artists. APFE is a collective whose core programmers include the Asian American Media Alliance, CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), David Magdael & Associates, Kollaboration, and Laarni Rosca Dacanay.
Learn more about the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience and how it all began in 2002 and follow APFE (@apfexp) on Instagram for more updates.
