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.
Tuesday, March 12, 12:00pm – 3:00pm APFE at SXSW Palm Door On Sixth, 508 East 6th Street, Austin, TX
Join us for the annual Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience at Palm Door on 6th! As we just celebrated our 20th Edition at Sundance Film Festival, we continue to honor and recognize cinematic artists whose works premier at SXSW, to celebrate the creative media of AANHPI and Asian international cinema artists! Network indoors with other AANHPI filmmakers, industry professionals, and creatives. Attendees are welcome to also rock out at the outdoor stage which has the Taiwan Beats Day Party at the Palm Door on 6th.
Open to all official SXSW Badge and wristband holders
Naveen and Jay (Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff) prepare to meet Naveen’s parents in a scene from A NICE INDIAN BOY by Roshan Sethi, playing in the Narrative Spotlight sidebar of the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival. Photo: Courtesy SXSW, LLC
For the second time this season, we encounter another slimmed-down but impactful program line-up of works by Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers at a major U.S. film festival — this time, at the upcoming South by Southwest Conferences and Film, Television, and Music Festivals set to begin March 8, 2024 in Austin, TX. There are very few works that premiered earlier at the Sundance Film Festival back in January — four, in fact — plus one that premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival. However, we think that this line-up is fresh and exciting, and that our annual #APAAustin happening currently set for Tuesday, March 12 will provide an opportunity for and and all to meet an entirely new community of cinematic artists. Just click on the artists’ film link for a detailed description of their works, plus showtimes. And be sure to click back for complete event details.
As a crowd of guests look on, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience’s Minji Chang greets the audience with Hanna Huang of the Austin Asian American Film Festival. Attracting over 100 film lovers, artists, and special guests, #APAAustin took place at Hold Out Brewing in the heart of SXSW activities. (Photo: Andrew Ge)
By Laarni Rosca Dacanay
Last month, the 2023 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Austin celebrated five years at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) with festivities recognizing AAPI filmmakers, storytellers, creatives and community leaders.
Beginning on Tuesday, March 14, the AAPI Film + Creatives Happy Hour Mixer (co-hosted with the Austin Asian American Film Festival), was held at Hold Out Brewing, where over 100 invited press and influencers, creatives, industry executives, SXSW filmmakers, local Austin and Texas-area AAPI filmmakers, community leaders, and AAPI allies and supporters, gathered for informal networking and connecting. Noted attendees include Writer and Director Liz Sargent, 2022 CAPE Short Program alum, whose film, TAKE ME HOME, played at SXSW; Director Mai Vu and Sam Rapley, Composer of SPRING ROLL DREAM, which also played at SXSW also attended, and Assistant Director Derek Kwan of Amanda Sum‘s DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE music video, which took home the 2023 Music Video Jury Award at SXSW networked with guests.
Later that week on Friday, March 17, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience attended the world premiere of first-time director Adele Lim’s highly anticipated comedy, JOY RIDE, which featured an exclusive pre-panel with the director, writers and the all-Asian American women-led cast, including Academy Award Nominee Stephanie Hsu, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu. During the festival, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience supported other high profile AAPI projects, including Kelvin Yu’s AMERICAN BORN CHINESE (starring Daniel Wu and Academy Award Winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan) and Lee Sung Jin’s BEEF (starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong). Other festival highlights include these must watch picks curated by the Austin Asian American Film Festival. From panels to networking to premieres and screenings, the 2023 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Austin was another success. Stay tuned for more information as the team heads into May’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with a networking mixer at the 39th edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival with Asian CineVision in June!
The co-organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Austin (from left): Hanna Huang, Austin Asian American Film Festival; Milton Liu, Asian American Media Alliance; Minji Chang, Kollaboration; and Michelle Sugihara, CAPE. Not pictured: Laarni Rosca Dacanay and David Madgael, David Magdael & Associates (Photo: Andrew Ge)
The intrepid cast of director Adele Lim’s SXSW 2023 raunch-fest of a film JOY RIDE, premiering March 17 as a prestigious “Headliners” attraction. (Photo: Courtesy South-by-Southwest Film Festival)
By Abraham Ferrer
There’s something about the South-by-Southwest Conference and Film, TV, and Music Festivals that somehow screams “genre-fest” or a week-long orgy of “low-hanging fruit.” Over the years, SXSW (established in 1987 as a meeting and incubation ground for emerging cinematic and technology creatives) has distinguished itself as a happening in which “visionary” cinema artists arrive with new works that would make programmers at relatively tony affairs as Sundance and the Berlinale blush. Anyone recall A QUIET PLACE, the SXSW Opening Night film from 2018? Or how about SXSW 2010, which opened with Matthew Vaughn’s comic-book action-fest (for audiences of a certain type) KICK-ASS? We think you get the picture — a film festival loaded with selections clearly aimed for mainstream audiences (we’re looking at you, FABULOUS FILIPINO BROTHERS – SXSW 2021) is clearly not all that concerned with being an event for high-brow tastemakers. Populist cinema geeks welcome here.
Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers and new media content creators have long held a cherished place in SXSW programming lore, as future box-office champs and awards nominees and recipients — as well as future genre-fest legends — rub elbows with an equally brash and unruly content conference and music festival featuring the best of established hit-makers and indie up-and-comers. If anything, this year’s edition of SXSW (the film component, that is) is prepared to reinforce the arrival of a new generation of cinematic artists. Sure, there is the random arrival fresh from those “other” festivals held back in January in Park City, Utah, not to mention other platforms (FANCY DANCE, produced by Nina Yang Bonjiovi; AMERICAN BORN CHINESE, by the tandem of Destin Daniel Cretton and Dinh Thai; I’M A VIRGO, produced by Tze Chun; Babak Jalali’s dystopian Sundance selection FREMONT; the freshly-minted Best Short Narrative Film of Sundance ’23, WHEN YOU LEFT ME ON THAT BOULEVARD by Kayla Abuda Galang; and WILD LIFE, by the multi-award winning team of Jimmy Chinn and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi). Outside of this stellar octet of directors,…it’s as if the slate was wiped clean for a stable of newcomers to make the scene on the streets, back alleys, and copious brisket joints of Austin, the capital city of The Lone Star State. Needless to say, there are surprises in store for those seeking “new hotness” in the line-up of nearly seventy works by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders skedded for SXSW 2023.
A still from Ver=onica Ngo Thanh Van’s FURIES, screening in the South-by-Southwest Film Festival’s “Midnighters” section. (Photo: Courtesy South-by-Southwest Film Festival)
For instance, consider “Headliners” selection JOY RIDE by first-time director Adele Lim. Following in the deep footsteps of raunchy, unapologetic buddy movies ranging from THELMA AND LOUIS to GIRLS’ TRIP (and nope, I’m not going to include in this canon the comparatively mild and sentimental 80 FOR BRADY, mercifully exiting theatres this week), director Lim’s much-publicized “hard-R-rated road comedy” is as raucous as it is debauched — a bold step forward for the award-winning screenwriter who has spent time putting as much distance as possible from her 2018 screenwriting breakthrough, CRAZY RICH ASIANS. Also consider veteran actress-turned-director Veronica Ngo (or Ngo Thanh Van for those who follow her international career and attendant celebritydom). Residing comfortably in the action and romance genre for several years now, Ngo brings to SXSW her “Midnighters” selection FURIES, a blood-and-guts crime drama that would make even Japanese crime auteur Miike Takashi blush. Or, if viewers craved the bitchy, faux-fabulous side of life, they could do no wrong in taking in Yen Tan’s TV pilot A GUIDE TO NOT DYING COMPLETELY ALONE. And for those desiring a little bit of sweetness with their drama, we think they’ll be qeueing furiously for Imran Khan’s period piece MY MUSTACHE, a WONDER YEARS-ish paean to coming of age — and of accepting onself. Additional titles included in the SXSW slate hew to the “traditional” brew of wild and crazy…just look at their mostly self-explanatory titles: WITH LOVE AND A MAJOR ORGAN by Kim Albright; IT LIVES INSIDE by Bishal Dutta; QUEENDOM by Agniia Galdanova; Hikari and Lee Sung Jin’s BEEF; MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE, produced by Candice Kuwahara; Kit Zauhar’s THIS CLOSENESS; and Paris Zarcilla’s RAGING GRACE. Quite clearly, AAPI works at SXSW ’23 do not apologize for being their real and authentic selves. That is the audience’s problem to work out among themselves.
Lloyd Lee Choi’s CLOSING DYNASTY is one of many short subject that will make their debuts at the 2023 South-by-Southwest Film Festival. (Photo: Courtsy South-by-Southwest Film Festival)
Because this is Austin, after all, SXSW ’23 contains a plethora of short subjects that are as varied as their are distinguished. We already gave mention of Kayla Galang’s WHEN YOU LEFT ME ON THAT BOULEVARD (and yes, that Sundance ’23 Grand Prize for Short Narrative Film was richly deserved), but we can’t ignore fellow Sundance selections THE FAMILY CIRCUS by Andrew Fitzgerald, and Liz Sargent’s TAKE ME HOME. This trio anchors a slate of new works by mostly new artists whose filmmaking flair are on full display here: Sparsh Ahuja’s BIRDSONG; Lloyd Lee Choi’s CLOSING DYNASTY; Joecar Hanna-Zhang’s DELIVER ME; Xiaoxuan Jiang’s GRAVEYARD OF HORSES; Courtney Loo’s SLICK TALK; Amy Omar’s BREAKING FAST WITH A COCA COLA; Brian Tang’s KODAMA; Mai Vu’s SPRINGROLL DREAM; and Sean Wong’s NAI NAI & WAI PO. Taken together with the selection of music videos, animated shorts, and “Made in Texas” offerings, it can be said that the SXSW ’23 roll call of short subjects is robust, far-ranging in scope, and positively distinguished.
A still from the virtual reality experience FIND WIILII – EP.1 THE GATE CRASHER by Sooyoung Choi and Mina Hyeon, a SXSW ’23 XR Experience Competition entry (Photo: Courtesy South-by-Southwest Film Festival)
Of course, this being SXSW, a wide berth is once again given to creatives working in online, virtual reality, and augmented reality experiences. While one of the most buzz-worthy titles has to be AESPA VR CONCERT IN KWANGYA (a virtual K-Pop concert created by a team led by Soo-man Lee and producer Junyoung Park), SXSW ’23’s hefty VR and AR profiles are led by new experiences headed by NEO-WULIN: THE ERA OF BLACK ART by the team of Guanyu and producers Chenchenchen and Bingbing Wang; and FIND WIILII: EP.1, THE GATE CRASHER, by a team composed of Sooyoung Choi and Mina Hyeon, with producer Sohee Kim. However, this line-up only scratches the surface of the many virtual offerings that are in store for festival attendees. If you can invest some time to be amazed and mesmerized by works including THE EYE AND I: VOL. 1 (Hsin-Chien Huang, with producer Hsiao-Yue Tsao), TEMPORAL WORLD: A HAPTISONIC VIRTUAL REALITY MEMORY WORLD (Chloe Lee), ONCE A GLACIER by Jiabao Li, and Gayatri Parameswaran’s YOU DESTROY. WE CREATE., then we assure you, this is a rabbit hole you would mind staying stuck in for awhile.
And since “online” includes streaming series, episodics, and other accomplished works meant to be discovered and enjoyed from the conveniences of home, we can’t close outt his overview without name-dropping titles like BLINDSPOTTING (Season 2 Premiere) produced by Jess Wu Calder; and the aforementioned BEEF and A GUIDE TO NOT DYING COMPLETELY ALONE. Whew! This year’s SXSW has something for everybody, from features, shorts, television and homegrown works to online and virtual reality experiences. And for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, there’s a good chance that you may find “you” somewhere in this distinguished collection of works.
For the full line-up of SXSW ’23 films by AAPI artists, click here
For those attending the South by Southwest Film Festival from March 10 through 19, 2023, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience team wants to let you all know who we’re celebrating, centering, and spotlighting. While there are a smattering of #APAAustin returnees, this year’s SXSW continues the trend we first saw back in January in Park City as a new generation of Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers and cinema artists are emerging with new works that offer much excitement and promise for this year. Be sure to catch these filmmakers’ films and new media productions. As always, we think this group is very special. And we know you’ll agree with us, too!
(All honorees are Directors unless otherwise indicated)
A still from Angiia Galdanova’s QUEENDOM, screening in Documentary Feature Competition (Photo: Courtesy South by Southwest Film Festival)
Films, TV, and Digital Productions AHUJA, Sparsh – Birdsong (Documentary Shorts Competition) ALBRIGHT, Kim – With Love and a Major Organ (Visions) BATSUKH, Bataar – Aberrance (Midnighters) BHASIN, Pranav – Screaming on the Fly by Pranav Bhasin and Rohini Maiti (Music Video Competition) BONGIOVI, Nina Yang (Producer) – Fancy Dance (Festival Favorites) CALDER, Jess Wu (Producer) – Blindspotting, Season 2 Premiere (TV Spotlight) CHEVAPRAVATDUMRONG, Cherry (Producer) – Joy Ride (Headliners) CHINN, Jimmy – Wild Life (Documentary Spotlight) CHOI, Lloyd Lee – Closing Dynasty (Narrative Shorts Competition) CHUN, TZE (Producer) – I’m a Virgo (TV Premieres) CRETTON, Destin Daniel – American Born Chinese (TV Premieres) DUTTA, Bishal – It Lives Inside (Midnighters) EKTARA COLLECTIVE – Ek Jagah Apni (Global) FITZGERALD, Andrew – The Family Circus (Narrative Shorts Competition) FUNG, Rachel (Producer) – Fremont (Festival Favorites) GALANG, Kayla Abuda – When You Left Me On That Boulevard (Texas Shorts Competition) GALDANOVA, Agniia – Queendom (Documentary Feature Competition) GUPTA, Omi Zola – Birdsong (Documentary Shorts Competition) HANNA-ZHANG, Joecar – Deliver Me (Narrative Shorts Competition) HIKARI – Beef (TV Premieres) HO, Giang (Producer) – Furies (Midnighters) HSIAO, Teresa (Producer) – Joy Ride (Headliners) JALALI, Babak – Fremont (Festival Favorites) JIANG, Xiaoxuan – Graveyard of Horses (Narrative Shorts Competition) JIN, Lee Sung – Beef (TV Premieres) KARAMROUDI, Shadi – It Turns Blue (Narrative Shorts Competition) KHAN, Imran – Mustache (Narrative Feature Competition) KUAN, Olivia – The Herricanes (Documentary Spotlight) KUWAHARA, Candice (Producer) – Molli and Max In the Future (Visions) LIM, Adele – Joy Ride (Headliners) LIN, Penny (Producer) – Kodama (Midnight Shorts Competition) LOO, Courtney – Slick Talk (Narrative Shorts Competition) NGO Thanh Van – Furies (Midnighters) NGUYEN Thach Ngoc (Screenwriter – Furies (Midnighters) NGUYEN Nhan Truong (Screenwriter) – Furies (Midnighters) OMAR, Amy – Breaking Fast With a Coca Cola (Narrative Shorts Competition) SARGENT, Liz – Take Me Home (Narrative Shorts Competition) TAM, Shan Shan (Producer) – The Dads (Documentary Shorts Competition) TAN, Yen – A Guide to Not Dying Completely Alone (Independent TV Pilot Competition) THAI, Chi (Producer) – Raging Grace (Narrative Feature Competition) THAI, Dinh – American Born Chinese (TV Premieres) TANG, Brian – Kodama (Midnight Shorts Competition) TANG, Han – Beyond the Fringe (Animated Shorts Competition) UYEN, Nguyen Nha Ly (Screenwriter) – Furies (Midnighters) VASARHELYI, Elizabeth Chai – Wild Life (Documentary Spotlight) VU, Mai – Spring Roll Dream (Animated Shorts Competition) VUONG, Ai (Producer / Screenwriter) – La Cosecha (Texas Shorts Competition) WONG, Ali (Producer) – Beef (TV Premieres) WONG, Sean – Nai Nai & Wai Po (Documentary Shorts Competition) YE, Molly (Producer) – 299 Queen Street West (24 Beats Per Second) YEE, Kevin (Screenwriter) – A Guide to Not Dying Completely Alone (Independent TV Pilot Competition) YEUN, Steven (Producer) – Beef (TV Premieres) YOSHIDA, Mayumi – Different Than Before by Amanda Sum (Music Video Competition) ZAUHAR, Kit – This Closeness (Narrative Spotlight) ZARCILLA, Paris – Raging Grace (Narrative Feature Competition)
A still from the XR selection NEO-WULIN: THE ERA OF BLACK ART, an XR Experience Special Event available through the Festival (Photo: Courtesy South by Southwest Film Festival)
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