APFE Celebrates 20th Edition in Park City

By Laarni Rosca Dacanay

Three events celebrating two decades marking one impactful weekend – this was the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) 20th Edition in Park City, Utah. 

Held over the opening weekend (alongside the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals from January 19-21, 2024), over 50 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander films and filmmakers who presented their projects at these festivals were honored and recognized at three APFE events:

Thank you to our 20th Edition Partners, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), Warner Bros. Discovery Access, NBCUniversal Launch, and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) – for which none of this would be possible.

Thank you to everyone who came out to a snowy Park City and filled the room with inspiration (we sold out in 39 mins!). Thank you to the entire APFE team — David Magdael, Minji Chang, Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Abe Ferrer, Michelle Sugihara, Milton Liu, Marvin Yueh, Rhian Moore, Jes Vu, and Grace Kao — for your tireless (volunteer) work to bring the 20th Edition to life. Thank you Chef Viet Pham and Pretty Bird Hot Chicken Restaurant for the deliciousness. Thank you Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images and Andrew Ge for capturing the moments so beautifully. And thank you to Sara Sergent and the entire Alpine Distilling staff for the incredible hospitality! 

>> See all APFE in Park City photos from Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images and Andrew Ge.

Learn more about the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience and how it all began in 2002.

Stay tuned for more APFE events in 2024 – 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.

Photo Above: APFE “Roll Call” Group Photo at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Continue reading below.


Kick-Off at Asian Texan BBQ Night

Kicking off the weekend, Amplify Asian presented the “APFE & HAAPIFEST Asian Texan BBQ Night” on Friday, January 19, 2024, which was co-hosted by the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, OCA Houston’s HAAPIFest, CAAM, and the Houston Film Commission. Guests were treated to a Texas BBQ catered by the James Beard-nominated Blood Bros. BBQ from Houston, sponsored by the Texas Beef Council, where filmmakers, creatives, industry and community leaders and supporters networked. Gift bags were handed out which included a special journal for Lunar New Year’s Year of the Dragon. Notable guests included Los Angeles-based celebrity chef and James Beard winner, Chef Susan Feniger, Sundance alumni filmmaker Tony Bui, and San Francisco Film Commissioner Jack Song.

Caption: “Asian Texan BBQ Night” hosts and Blood Bros. BBQ chefs pose on the red carpet at the Amplify Asian House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Kevin Chin.

Caption: Celebrity Chef Susan Feniger (right) with partner and filmmaker Liz Lachman (left) at the “Asian Texan BBQ Night” red carpet at the Amplify Asian House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Kevin Chin.

Caption: “Asian Texan BBQ Night” hosts, along with APFE leaders on the red carpet at the Amplify Asian House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Kevin Chin.

See more photos by Kevin Chin.


Closing the Sunrise House

The second APFE event of the weekend was the “Filmmakers Forum and Fireside Chat” hosted at the Sunrise House – under the unifying banner of the Sunrise Collective, Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD, Gold House, and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), who co-hosted the official pan-AAPI House at the Sundance Film Festival with interactive programming during opening weekend. APFE was honored to return to Sunrise, where our event concluded the weekend at the Sunrise Collective House on Sunday, January 21, 2024.

Caption: Actor, producer and APFE Leader Minji Chang welcomes guests to the APFE 20th Edition event at the Sunrise Collective House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

The program began with a short address from Neil Ruiz, Head of New Research Initiatives at Pew Research

Caption: Pew Research’s Neil Ruiz speaks at the APFE 20th Edition event at the Sunrise Collective House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Following that, APFE presented a panel discussion reflecting on the progress made by AANHPI filmmakers over the last few decades, recognizing the trailblazers along the way, and looking ahead to the next generation of filmmakers. The panel, moderated by acclaimed producer Nina Yang Bongiovi, featured veteran and emerging AAPI filmmakers Tony Bui (Director, Three Seasons), Ramona Diaz (Director, And So It Begins), and Luciane Buchanan (Screenwriter/Actor, Lea Tupu’anga/Mother Tongue).

Caption: Acclaimed producer Nina Yang Bongiovi with filmmakers Tony Bui, Ramona Diaz and Luciane Buchanan, speak on the Filmmakers Forum at the APFE 20th Edition event at the Sunrise Collective House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Then, guests heard from a special Fireside Chat with actor and filmmaker Sung Kang and veteran film publicist and Peabody Award Winner David Magdael, who were both involved with the Sundance premiere of the seminal Asian American film Better Luck Tomorrow. They spoke about the groundbreaking moment when the film premiered at Sundance 2002 leading to the film’s enduring legacy and its overarching influence on the trajectory of the current AANHPI filmmaking movement. Milton Liu, filmmaker, APFE leader and Executive Director of the Asian American Media Alliance, moderated.

Caption: Filmmaker, APFE Leader and Executive Director (AAMA), Milton Liu moderates special fireside chat with actor and filmmaker Sung Kang and veteran film publicist and Peabody Award Winner David Magdael, at the APFE 20th Edition event at the Sunrise Collective House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

He was like Moses… he defended us,” said Kang, remembering the pivotal moment when the late, revered film critic Roger Ebert stood up and countered criticism from an audience member who said the film did not portray Asian Americans in a positive light, which went against the stereotype of Asian Americans being a ‘model minority.’

Magdael went on to describe what happened next, “…we got it on tape and spent the night duping VHS tapes and we sent the tapes to every press outlet… it was a true Sundance moment for an ally to stand up… it sparked us and got us excited!” Kang added, “MTV bought the film… and Jon M. Chu (Director, Crazy Rich Asians) was in the front row at the Park City Library in 2002 for the BLT screening when it all went down… we didn’t know that this small film would have an impact but Jon said is was then that he decided to become a filmmaker…” Following the theme of wins, Liu added “….we need to celebrate our wins for hope, we can not be jaded like, ‘I didn’t get into Sundance’,” and Liu closed by reminding the full house that “…we have to be at the table and our stories need to be told… this is what the late U.S. Secretary and AAMA’s first Chair Norman Mineta said…”, on the importance of AANHPI inclusion in entertainment and media.

Presentation of the 2024 Irene Cho Pioneer Award

APFE closed out the Sunrise House ending with the presentation of the 2024 Irene Cho Award, which is named in honor of one of the original founders of APFE, filmmaker and Asian American storytelling advocate – who passed away unexpectedly in 2017. Given in Cho’s memory to an artist, creator or industry leader who exemplifies the mission of the organization in supporting AANHPI filmmakers in all aspects from resource building, networking, consulting and inspiration. Past recipients include Kim Yutani (Director of Programming – Sundance Film Festival), Nina Yang Bongiovi (Producer/Partner – Significant Productions) and Jean Tsien (Film producer, Emmy Award winner “76 Days” and Oscar nominee “Scottsboro: An American Tragedy”). David Magdael was named this year’s recipient for his visionary work as a publicist, producer and social impact leader (see award below).

Caption: APFE Founder, veteran film publicist and Peabody Award Winner David Magdael receives the 2024 Irene Cho Award from APFE Leaders at the APFE 20th Edition event at the Sunrise Collective House at Sundance 2024. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: The 2024 Irene Cho Award presented to David Magdael. Photo Credit: Laarni Rosca Dacanay.

See more photos from Andrew Ge.

20th Edition Celebration at Alpine Distilling

Wrapping the weekend was the “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling, where nearly 700 RSVP’d and joined on the cold, snowy Sunday, January 21, 2024 evening. Hosted by The Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, in partnership with the Asian American Media Alliance, Asians in Hollywood, CAPE, Kollaboration, David Magdael & Associates, and Visual Communications – the festive event was a full room until the very end.

Caption: Guests stand outside a cold, snowy Sunday evening for the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Guests networked and were treated to delicious bites by local AAPI-owned business Pretty Bird Hot Chicken, owned by renowned Iron Chef winner Chef Viet Pham, along with festive drinks and mocktails compliments of APFE. 

Caption: Guests mingle and network at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: Guests mingle and network with actor and filmmaker Sung Kang (center) and Anderson Le, Artistic Director, Hawaii International Film Festival (far right) at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.


Caption: Award-winning Vietnamese American filmmakers Tony Bui (left) and Bao Nguyen (right) with entertainment journalist Dino-Ray Ramos (center) at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: Guests ordering drinks and mocktails at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: Special 20th Edition of APFE drinks and mocktails beverage menu at the “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Special thank you to APFE’s 20th Edition Partners including The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), Warner Bros. Discovery Access, NBCUniversal Launch, and Center for Asian American Media (CAAM)

Caption: Film Programmer Irene Soriano and filmmakers Bao Nguyen and Tony Bui, pose with NBCUniversal Launch executives Jeanne Mau, Michael Pogarian, Jaunice Sills, Robert Baltazar and Warner Bros. Discovery Access executive Grace Moss, with retired Comcast NBCUniversal executive Steve Proper (left-right) at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: Filmmaker Fawzia Mirza (center) poses with NBCUniversal Launch executives Jaunce Sills, Michael Pogarian and Warner Bros. Discovery Access executive Grace Moss, with NBCU Launch executive Jeanne Mau (left-right) at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: Director and Founder of Cinema Sala, Marie Jamora (left) with NBCUniversal Launch executive Robert Baltazar (right) at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Actor and producer Minji Chang, APFE Leader, former Kollaboration Executive Director and mentee of the late Irene Cho, thanked the full room for attending and gave nod to Daniel Dae Kim for his support and leadership to hosting Sundance’s first official pan-AAPI house – which the guests delighted in the perfect timing as Kim walked into the event, arriving to jubilant applause! Following the tradition of the “Roll Call”, guests posed for an APFE group photo (see below).

Caption: Actor, producer, APFE Leader and former Kollaboration Executive Director Minji Chang, thanked the full room for attending and gave nod to Daniel Dae Kim for his support and leadership to hosting Sundance’s official pan-AAPI house, at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: APFE “Roll Call” Group Photo at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Photo Credit: Andrew Ge.

Caption: APFE Leaders and Organizing Team, including Michelle Sugihara, Minji Chang, Milton Liu, Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Marvin Yueh, Rhian Moore, and David Magdael (left-right) at the 20th Edition of APFE “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Not pictured: Abe Ferrer, Jes Vu, and Grace Kao. Photo Credit: Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images.

Learn more about the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience and how it all began in 2002.

Stay tuned for more APFE events in 2024 – 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.

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Filmmaker Panel, Fireside Chat at Sunrise House to Observe Twentieth Edition of Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience

As part of our Year Twenty activities, organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City will once again organize filmmaker panels and talks that allow audiences to learn more about the craft of making moving pictures through the perspectives of our communities’ artists. This year, we start off with a fireside chat with veteran actor/filmmaker Sung Kang, whose pivotal star turn in Justin Lin’s 2002 narrative feature BETTER LUCK TOMORROW announced the arrival of a vital voice in independent cinema. Then, we celebrate the impact of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience through a talk with filmmakers Tony Bui (THREE SEASONS, Sundance 1999), Luciane Buchanan (Producer, MOTHER TONGUE), and Ramona Diaz (AND SO IT BEGINS), moderated by veteran APFE honoree Nina Yang Bongiovi. Lots of ready stuff, we look forward to having you join us!

The 2024 edition of #APAParkCity will be held at the Sunrise House at Riverhorse on Main, in the heart of Park City. The Sunrise 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. And click here to learn more about our venue for our “Meet the Filmmakers” reception, Alpine Distilling, just a few doors north of Main Street’s iconic Egyptian Theatre. Complete event details can be found here.


SUNG KANG (Actor)
Sung Kang has starred in numerous TV and film projects over the last 30 years. His iconic character, Han, has been an integral member of Universal Studios’ biggest franchise of all time: THE FAST & FURIOUS. Kang also starred as John Mak on Starz’ #1 most watched series, POWER; as well as Fifth Brother in the OBI-WAN KENOBI mini-series. Kang has also produced multiple projects that have run the gamut of the film festival circuit, including BETTER LUCK TOMORROW which premiered at Sundance in 2002 and was bought by MTV Films. In 2023, Kang made his directorial debut with the horror/comedy SHAKY SHIVERS. He currently hosts the podcast CAR STORIES WITH SUNG KANG & EMELIA HARTFORD and recently wrapped production of THE RIDE LIFE WITH SUNG KANG, an unscripted docuseries set to release later in 2024. With a huge social media footprint, Kang’s name is synonymous with car culture across the globe. He’s the spokesperson for multiple product brands throughout Asia, making him an iconic figure in pop culture, street fashion and all things car related.

MILTON LIU (Screenwriter / Producer)
Milton Liu, a recent Stage IV cancer survivor, was born in Kansas but raised in Chicago (which 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 wrote and produced the feature AWESOME ASIAN BAD GUYS, and created the webseries JOHN HUGHES RUINED MY LIFE and short documentary I HATE BIG PHONY. He most recently associate produced the features LUCKY GRANDMA and LOVE & BUSKING. Milton is the Executive Director of the Asian American Media Alliance, a member of the WGA/west and has served as a Big Brother Mentor for the past seven years. 

DAVID MAGDAEL (Publicist)
With over two decades in PR/marketing for award winning documentaries, films and broadcast content, David Magdael and his company David Magdael & Associates have become an important leader in the field. A recent Peabody Award Winner as well, he leads Oscar/awards campaigns, theatrical releases, and streaming and broadcast premieres. Magdael is one of the top media strategists in entertainment, a longtime member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the Television Academy, and was the co-director of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival since 1997.  He continues to serve as a mentor at the Sundance Institute Producers Lab, Global Media Makers, Film Independent, Berlinale European Film Market, IDFA, Women Make Movies, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, DOC NYC, and other media organizations. He is on the board of Gamechanger Non-Profit, and is one of the founders of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) since 2002 creating events for AAPI filmmakers at Sundance, Tribeca, Toronto, LAAPFF, SXSW and CAAMFest. Taking a more active role in filmmaking, Magdael has become recently involved with films in various producer capacities, including:

  • ASHIMA (Executive Producer)
  • 76 DAYS (Co-Executive Producer) Emmy Award Winner; Peabody Award Winner; Oscar Shortlist – PARAMOUNT +
  • MR. SOUL! (Co-Associate Producer) Critics Choice Award; Peabody Award; Oscar Shortlist; Now on Max
  • LIKE A ROLLING STONE: THE LIFE & TIMES OF BEN FONG TORRES (Co-Producer) Critics Choice Honor; Tribeca Film Festival; Mill Valley Film Festival Now on NETFLIX
  • BLACK MOTHERS: LOVE & RESIST (Co-Associate Producer) SF Film Festival; Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Fest; Sidewalk Film Festival; Big Sky
  • TRY HARDER! (Co-Associate Producer) – Sundance Film Festival; PBS
  • PIER KIDS (Associate Producer) – GLAAD Award Nominee; OutFest; PBS; Criterion Collection
  • RAMBLIN’ FREAK (Associate Producer) – SXSW Film Festival – AMAZON PRIME
  • DROPS IN THE OCEAN (Executive Producer)

Publicity and Marketing for films include: 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL; THE ETERNAL MEMORY; LAKOTA NATION VS. THE UNITED STATES; STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING; DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE MAKING OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY; THE LAST REPAIR SHOP; THE ABCS OF BOOK BANNING; OASIS; BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY; ISLAND IN BETWEEN; BAD AXE; A HOUSE MADE OF SPLINTERS; MINK!; LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE; MIDWIVES; THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER; TWICE COLONIZED; STRANGER AT THE GATE; HOW DO YOU MEASURE A YEAR; QUEENDOM; FANNY; FREE CHOL SOO LEE; 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.

NINA YANG BONGIOVI (Moderator)
Nina Yang Bongiovi is a BAFTA-nominated, award-winning film producer who alongside Forest Whitaker founded Significant Productions, focusing on multi-cultural narratives with an eye on authenticity, diversity, and inclusion; a producer with stellar reputation for having in-depth knowledge of film financing, creative and physical producing, and a knack for discovering talent.
  She has produced critically acclaimed motion pictures such as Fruitvale Station (2013)Dope (2015)Songs My Brothers Taught Me (2015)Roxanne Roxanne (2018)Sorry to Bother You (2018)Passing (2021) and more recently, Fancy Dance (2023) — launching some of the most prolific, auteur filmmakers’ careers (Ryan Coogler, Chloe Zhao, Boots Riley, Rebecca Hall, Erica Tremblay) through their feature directorial debuts, which all premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival within the last decade. 
  Nina also executive produces the premium tv series, “Godfather of Harlem” at MGM+ with ABC Studios and develops television shows through Significant’s first-look deal at Amazon Studios. Notably, Nina is the recipient of Variety’s Creative Impact Award in Producing (2023).
  Nina is on the board of Producers Guild of America and CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment); she also serves on Executive Committee of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences’ (AMPAS) Producers Branch and is a voting member of the Television Academy. She received her graduate degree at USC in Entertainment Management at The Annenberg School and is currently the Associate Chair of the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.

LUCIANE BUCHANAN (Actor / Producer)
New Zealand-Tongan actor Luciane Buchanan started acting as a young teen in Aotearoa landing roles on local series THE BLUE ROSE and FILTHY RICH. In 2018, Luciane was cast as the lead protagonist Tripitaka in 2 seasons of the Netflix series THE NEW LEGENDS OF MONKEY. Successive roles include Netflix’s SWEET TOOTH and Apple TV+’s MR. CORMAN. 2022 was a breakout year internationally for Luciane when she was cast in THE NIGHT AGENT, playing the lead role of Rose in Netflix’s most watched series of 2023. 
     In 2020, Luciane was a recipient of the Script to Screen ‘Fresh Shorts’ program for her first short screenplay LEA TUPU’ANGA/MOTHER TONGUE, which is world premiering in the International Fiction Short Film competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. With a passion for elevating Pasifika stories, Luciane worked alongside Tavake Productions as associate producer on the hit show local show PANTHERS, based on the true story of the Polynesian Panther movement in New Zealand during 1970s. The show had its world premiere at TIFF in 2021. Luciane’s latest lead role as Queen Ka’ahumanu in Apple TV+ series CHIEF OF WAR is set to release in late 2024.

TONY BUI (Director)
Tony Bui is a writer, director and producer. His films include YELLOW LOTUS, THREE SEASONS, GREEN DRAGON, and THE THROWAWAYS. His short film, YELLOW LOTUS, received over 15 national and international festival prizes. His feature debut, THREE SEASONS, received the Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Best Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival and two Independent Spirit Awards nominations. He is a recipient of the Humanitas Prize and a graduate of the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriting and Directing Labs. He has written and developed projects for NBC, Warner Bros. and HBO, and is currently developing a narrative feature film about Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize winning “Napalm Girl” photo from the Vietnam War.
     Tony has taught film directing at Loyola Marymount University and previously served on the Board of Directors of Film Independent; he is currently on the Global Advisory Board of Fulbright University Vietnam. Tony is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Columbia University and teaches in the university’s graduate film program.

RAMONA S. DIAZ (Director)
Ramona S. Diaz is a Peabody, Gotham, IDA, Emmy award-winning, PGA and Independent Spirit award-nominated Asian American filmmaker best known for her compelling character-driven documentaries that combine a profound appreciation for cinematic aesthetics and potent storytelling. Ramona’s films have demonstrated her ability to gain intimate access to the people she films – be they rock stars, first ladies, dissidents, mothers, teachers, or journalists – resulting in keenly observed moments and unforgettable nuanced narratives. Her films have been screened and won awards at Sundance, Berlin, Busan, Tribeca, SXSW, IDFA, HotDocs, and many other top-tier film festivals. Ramona’s feature-length independently-produced films — IMELDA (IL, 2004), THE LEARNING (POV, 2011), DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’: EVERYMAN’S JOURNEY (IL, 2012), MOTHERLAND (POV, 2017), AND A THOUSAND CUTS (Frontline, 2020) — have been nationally broadcast on PBS, Arte, and the BBC amongst others. Ramona is both a Guggenheim Fellow and a USA Fellow – prestigious awards given to artists with singular visions who have significantly contributed to the arts in the United States. She was recently named the inaugural McGurn Family Trust Resident in Film by the American Academy in Rome. Ramona is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the Producers and Writers Guilds of America. In 2017, she received a Women at Sundance Fellowship, a Creative Capital Award, and a Chicken & Egg Pictures Filmmaker Award. For the past ten years, Ramona has served as a film envoy for the U.S. State Department’s American Film Showcase in partnership with USC and, more recently, for Film Independent’s Global Media Makers program. Ramona is a graduate of Emerson College and holds an MA from Stanford University. 

NEIL G. RUIZ
Neil G. Ruiz
is Pew Research Center’s Head of New Research Initiatives. In this role, he is responsible for inspiring and advancing new opportunities for organizational growth and evolution. He works closely with the Center’s president to conceptualize and drive new strategies that expand the Center’s scope and capacity to do new research and serve broader audiences.
  Neil is also the principal investigator of the Center’s award-winning project “Being Asian in America”— a multi-year, multi-lingual comprehensive study of Asian Americans. This project was awarded the 2023 Inclusive Voices Award from the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) — for improving the ability to study complex social phenomena related to understudied populations. Neil has a background in applying demographic, qualitative, and survey research methods in the U.S. and around the world. He utilizes this mixed methods approach to studying Asian Americans, other racial and ethnic groups, and immigrant populations.
  Prior to joining the Center, Neil worked as a migration and economic development expert at the Brookings Institution, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. He is a political economist with a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master’s degree from Oxford University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Exemplary Line-Up of AAPI Cinema Artists at Park City Kicks Off 2024 Year Twenty Season of Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience

A still from Sean Wang’s DIDI, a U.S. Narrative Competition entry of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. (Image courtesy of the Sundance Institute)

The year 2024 represents a New Year, a fresh start, and a time to celebrate and reflect. If such is the case, then the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience begins this 20th Anniversary Year at the venue where it all started back in 2002 — Park City, Utah, home to the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals. Over 1,000 honorees ago, we couldn’t have imagined that this celebratory party would become an annual tradition, so we’re just as excited and surprised as everyone else that we’ve sustained this level of excellence for so long. This collection of honorees, lean and mean, serves to kick start our special year, and we encourage one and all visiting The Beehive State this January to support these filmmakers and their films. We, as they, look forward to seeing you at their screenings.

All honorees are DIRECTORS unless otherwise indicated. (*) indicates previous #APAParkCity honorees, and we should pay extra special attention to them:

Sundance
ALCAZAREN, WhammyBOLD EAGLE (Short – Int’l Narrative)
AL-KADHI, AmrouLAYLA (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
AMIRFAZLI, Raha (Co-Director) – IN THE LAND OF BROTHERS (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
BELL, JonTHE MOOGAI (Midnight)
BHATTARAI, Arun (Co-Director) – AGENT OF HAPPINESS (World Cinema Documentary Competition)
* BONGIOVI, Nina Yang (Executive Producer) – LAYLA (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
BUCHANAN, Luciane (Producer) – MOTHER TONGUE (Lea Tupu’anga) (Short – Int’l Narrative)
* BUI, TonyTHREE SEASONS (40th Anniversary Celebration)
CHANG, Mandy (Producer) – DEVO (Premieres)
CHEN, Dongnan14 PAINTINGS (Short – Non-Fiction)
CHU, AnTHE STAG (Short – Int’l Narrative)
* DIAZ, RamonaAND SO IT BEGINS (Premieres)
GHASEMI, Alireza (Co-Director) – IN THE LAND OF BROTHERS (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
ITO, ShioriBLACK BOX DIARIES (World Cinema Documentary Competition)
KO, MashaTHE LOOMING (Short – U.S. Narrative)
LIN JianjieBRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
* MAING, StephenUNION (U.S. Documentary Competition)
MAFILE’O, VeaMOTHER TONGUE (Lea Tupu’anga) (Short – Int’l Narrative)
MURATA, TakeshiLARRY (Short – Animated)
NADARAJAH, Ayesha (Producer) – THE HEART (Short – U.S. Narrative)
NAGAHISA, MakotoPISKO THE CRAB CHILD IS IN LOVE (Short – Int’l Narrative)
* NAIR, MiraMISSISSIPPI MASALA (40th Anniversary Celebration)
NGUYEN, Tina (Executive Producer) – THE SYNANON FIX (Episodics)
* NORMAN, Diffan SinaPASTURE PRIME (Short – U.S. Narrative)
QIN, AlexandraTHIRSTYGIRL (Short – U.S. Narrative)
RAWAT, Shivani (Producer) – LOVE ME (U.S. Narrative Competition); HIT MAN (Spotlight)
RIZAL, Khozy – BASRI & SALMA IN A NEVER-ENDING COMEDY (Short – Int’l Narrative)
SARJAHANI, AndyTHE SMALLEST POWER (Short – Non-Fiction)
SHI, Connie (Producer) – THE LOOMING CLOUD (Short – U.S. Narrative)
SISIPOUR, Amir AliSHALAL (Short – Int’l Narrative)
TALATI, ShuchiGIRLS WILL BE GIRLS (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
* TELENGUT, Alisi – BAIGAL NUUR – LAKE BAIKAL (Short – Animation)
WANG, SeanDIDI (U.S. Narrative Competition)
* ZHAN, ReneeSNAKE (Shé) (Short – U.S. Narrative)

Slamdance
(For all films, click on the program announcement at: https://slamdance.com/official-lineup-2024/, then click on the category to view selections)
HE YumengFORTUNE (Documentary Short)
JIANG, Yifan (Co-Director) – VACATION (Animated Short)
KAWAKAMI, SawaHELL OF SE (Narrative Feature)
KIM, HyunHILLS FOR THE HEAD (Animated Short)
KUAN, OliviaTHE HERRICANES (Spotlight)
MEHTA, RadhaDOSH (Unstoppable Shorts)
NING, AnnieINVASIVE SPECIES (Narrative Short)
PARK, SOOBUTTERFLY (Animated Short)
PARK, SusanLUCY & SARA (CHAPTER 1: SUICIDE) (Episodes)
* SAMARASINGHE, RajeeLOTUS-EYED GIRL (Experimental Short)
SHAO, CassieTHIS IS A STORY WITHOUT A PLAN (Animated Short)
SINGH BAWA, IanMY SON WENT QUIET (Narrative Short)
TANTIWASADAKRAN, ParidaYOUNG PEOPLE, OLD PEOPLE, & NOTHING IN BETWEEN (Unstoppable Shorts)
WONG, JordanI WOULD’VE BEEN HAPPY (Animated Short)
YASHIRO, ToshikiTOKYO ANIMALS (Narrative Short)
YI, Mike RenLUCKY YU (DIG)
ZHAO, XinheLIL SHERBET (Animated Short)
ZHOU, JenniferLAN’S GARDEN (Narrative Short)
ZINXHIRIA, NeritanLIGHT OF LIGHT (Experimental Short)

#APAParkCity Returns for Its 19th Edition

By Abraham Ferrer

The co-organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City celebrate onstage with the co-founders of the Sunrise Collective to close out programming at Riverhorse on Main Street (from left): Norman Chen of The Asian American Foundation, 3AD’s Daniel Dae Kim, Gold House Executive Director Jeremy Tran, Bing Chen, Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Minji Chang, Milton Liu, Michelle Sugihara, and David Madgael. (Photo: Abraham Ferrer / Visual Communications Photographic Archive)

Perhaps it hasn’t been such a long time to be away from the freezing cold of northern Utah — after all, what’s a mere two years away? But for the organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City, the time away from the snowy ski resort town that hosts the annual Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals has been a seeming forced eternity, as the lethal COVID-19 pandemic swept in almost immediately following the 2000 festivities and rendered virtually all cultural activities as potential super-spreader events. Sure, the time away from Park City compelled organizers to pivot to a virtual Experience in 2021 and 2022, thanks to online meeting technology Remo. Yet there was something…missing from 2021 and 2022, as if everyone was seen, yet missing in action. Surely, “Sundancing from Home” certainly didn’t feel like attending the Festival and all its complications (snow drifts, crowded sidewalks, even more crowded shuttle buses, long wait lines to gain entry into theaters, …you know, the whole nine). And two years of Remo receptions could not in any way make up for that sense of alienation that resulted when we couldn’t gather in-person. So it was a relief when — finally — #APAParkCity organizers could pull together an in-person gathering at arguably the premier showcase for independent cinema of the annual film festival season.

This time out, #APAParkCity organizers — Visual Communications, David Magdael & Associates, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, Center for Asian American Media, Kollaboration, Asian American Media Alliance, and Asians in Hollywood — weren’t presenting their event in a vaccuum. Also planting their flag at Park City was the Sunrise Collective — a coalition of AAPI organizations including 3AD, Gold House, and The Asian American Foundation — whose AAPI-themed house situated in the heart of Park City’s Main Street signified a monumental first in Sundance history. Also flexing their collective muscles were a group of organizations who organized its own house located just off of Main Street, and include Amplify Asian, OCA Greater Houston’s HAAPI Fest, and Iron Light Labs. The Asian Society – Northern California was back to present a Sunday morning panel of AAPI shorts filmmakers. And if that weren’t enough, a first-ever South Asian Lodge was established as part of Sundance activities. The participation of these and other organizations signified a critical mass of AAPI orgs to Park City. On the one hand, after way too many years, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience would not be the only game in Park City. On the other hand…that was definitely a good thing. Through cross-organizational programming highlighted by a weekend unity breakfast as well as multiple venues and platforms from which to network and meet up, the efforts to CELEBRATE and CENTER our AAPI filmmakers would not occur in isolation.

The activities of the Sunrise Collective’s overflow engagements during Sundance Opening Weekend were well-documented through here and here. The Amplify Asian event, a “Red Rabbit Reception” to herald the Lunar New Year, was equally packed and plied party guests with non-stop soup dumplings and non-stop appetizers and drinks all night long. And not to be outdone, the South Asian Lodge (organized by the non-profit group 1497) packed in a full schedule highlighted by a 20th anniversary conversation celebrating Indo-Brit director Gurinder Chadha’s feature breakthrough BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM.

The activities of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience capped a busy third and final day at the Sunrise Collective house, located at a spacious restaurant named Riverhorse just a few doors up from the Sundance Film Festival’s Filmmakers Lodge. Despite the inclusion of a cozy back lounge and a balcony bar, Sunrise programs remained at capacity the entire day. As a result, when co-organizers Minji Chang, Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Milton Liu, Michelle Sugihara, and David Magdael took the stage to get things started, the large dining space was already packed — in fact, the space was at standing-room-only status when moderator Anderson Le brought together director/co-screenwriter Sing J. Lee, Co-Producer Jes Vu, and lead actor Dustin Nguyen in a conversation spotlighting director Lee’s THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER, a U.S. Narrative Competition selection. Lee, a British Hong Konger now living and working in Los Angeles, touched on the distinction of his being a non-Vietnamese American telling a uniquely Vietnamese story, as well as challenges of telling a compelling story in a language that is not his own native tongue.

#APAParkCity co-organizer Minji Chang engaged Milton Liu, David Magdael, and Michelle Sugihara in a short conversation assessing the current landscape for Asian Pacific Americans and other people of color as acculturation and increased opportunities for inclusion presents both pitfalls and opportunities for all. The talk, “Bird’s Eye View / What’s On the Horizon…” was highlighted by Liu’s sneak preview of a forthcoming Broadcast Network TV Assessment assembled by the Asian American Media Alliance. An annual reporting, the Assessment evaluates efforts by the major broadcast television networks to increase both short and long-term inclusion of peoples of color in motion pictures and TV. As David Magdael expounded, AAPI cinema is far more substantial and vital than merely “producing a preponderance of TikTok videos,” which drew hearty and derisive laughs throughout the Riverhorse dining hall. Quickly righting the ship, Magdael emphasized that AAPI cinema is composed of multiple voices, movements, and trends, and that artists and audiences both should embrace all forms of work being produced and presented by our creative community. Following a presentation of the annual Irene Cho Pioneer Award to APFE co-organizer Visual Communications and wrap-up comment by the co-founders of the Sunrise Collective, the traditional networking reception and party featuring treats from Ritual Chocolate and Pretty Bird closed out the afternoon.

As the collective activities of AAPIs in Park City overlapped with the Lunar New Year, anticipation was high for those in Park City who were set to celebrate the coming Year of the Hare. However, the events late Saturday evening back in Monterey Park, CA during which a lone gunman barged into the Star Dance Studio ballroom, killing eleven and wounding many others cast a pall throughout Sunday programming at Sunrise Collective house. However, organizers remain resolved to not let that horrific event ruin the day. “As the APFE returned for its 19th edition at Park City, it was heartwarming to see our community and creatives come together during the beginning of the Lunar New Year” said Milton Liu, an award-winning filmmaker currently serving as interim Executive Director of the Asian American Media Alliance. Liu added, “And in light of the of the tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, we need our representation and voices heard, now more than ever.”

Ultimately, Asian Pacific Filmmaker experience organizers were appreciative of its audience, community of filmmakers, and partners for a successful 19th edition. “Many thanks to everyone who came out to a snowy and cold Park City, who stood in line (and to those who couldn’t get in – our apologies, we hit capacity!) — WE DO THIS FOR YOU,” said Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Chair, PBS SoCal KCET Community Advisory Board and an Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience co-organizer. Dacanay added, “Keep telling your stories and keep lifting each other up. See you all next year in 2024 for our milestone 20th Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience!”


On behalf of the entire Organizing Committee, we thank you for joining us at the 19th Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) on Sunday, January 23, 2023 at the Sunrise Collective – a historical first to be in the first official pan-AAPI house at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Congratulations to Visual Communications, this year’s recipient of the IRENE CHO PIONEER AWARD! Named in honor of one of the original founders of APFE – Irene Cho – who passed away unexpectedly in 2017. The award is given in Cho’s memory to an artist, creator, or industry leader who exemplifies APFE’s mission in supporting API filmmakers in all aspects from resource building, networking, consulting and inspiration. Past recipients include Kim Yutani (Director of Programming – Sundance Film Festival), Nina Yang Bongiovi (Producer/Partner – Significant Productions) and Jean Tsien (Film producer, Emmy Award winner “76 Days” and Oscar nominee “Scottsboro: An American Tragedy”).

Thank you to Ronny Chieng for the beautiful limited-edition “HOPE YOU GET RICH” gold foil red envelopes; delicious chocolate courtesy of Utah locally-owned Ritual Chocolate; savory bites from Asian American-owned and Park City favorite, Pretty Bird, from Iron Chef winner Chef Viet Pham, and limited-edition Year of the Rabbit pin designed by James Jean.

Special thank you to Sunrise Collective for hosting our community space – including Daniel Dae Kim and 3AD Media; Bing Chen, Jeremy Tran and Gold House; Norman Chen, Joy Moh and The Asian American Foundation – your leadership and partnership defines #StrongerTogether. 

We also want to recognize the innocent lives lost in the recent mass shootings – Half Moon Bay, Des Moines, Oakland and Monterey Park. For the former, to help the victims, a GoFundMe has been set up by the Chinese for Affirmative Action in San Francisco, and other leading AAPI community organizations in the Bay Area – 100% of donations contributed will go to the victims and surviving families, many of whom have lost their homes, livelihood and are facing a myriad of unique challenges as a result of this horrific tragedy.

• To donate or learn more, visit Half Moon Bay Victims Fund.

To help the latter, a victims fund has been set up by Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California. Additionally, please share this important resource guide for the Monterey Park victims and community members. This guide contains crucial information on how to access mental health, medical, legal, and victim assistance from local organizations with cultural and language capacity. 

• To donate and learn more, visit Monterey Park Lunar New Year  Victims Fund.

What has happened the past few weeks is a reminder of why we do what we do – to lift our communities, to hold space for grief and celebration – all in the effort to move forward together.

In solidarity,
Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience

#APAParkCity 2023 Has Panels? Yeah, We Got Panels!

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

The 2023 #APAParkCity Artists Are Ready for their Close-Up!

A still from Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV by Amanda Kim, an official selection of the U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

For those attending the 2023 Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals (whether in-person or virtual) from January 19 through 29, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience team wants to let you all know who we’re celebrating, centering, and spotlighting. A generation of brand new #APAParkCity join with a handful of veteran makers and producers to generate much excitement and promise for the coming 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!

Sundance (Directors unless otherwise indicated; * are #APAParkCity returnees)

ADNANI, Shalini – White Ant

BALBUENA, Bianca (Producer) – In My Mother’s Skin

BHATIA, Koval (Producer) – Against the Tide

* BONGIOVI, Nina Yang (Producer) – Fancy DanceTo Live and Die and Live

CARILLO, Jarreau – The Vacation

CHARAN, Apoorva Guru (Producer) – Joyland

CHARAN, Hadi Rezayati – Azheh

CHEN, Anthony – Drift

CHEN, Christopher (Screenwriter) – The Accidental Getaway Driver

* CHI, Alex (Producer) – Jamojaya

* CHON, Justin – Jamojaya

CHOW, Michael (Producer) – Nocturnal Burger

CIBULKA, Yama (Producer) – Jamojaya

DAGATAN, Kenneth – In My Mother’s Skin

DANG, Joseph (Producer) – Jamojaya

FITZGERALD, Andrew – The Family Circus

FUNG, Rachael (Producer) – Fremont

GALANG, Kayla Abuda – When You Left Me On That Boulevard

GAN, Bi – A Short Story

GREYHORSE, Kymon – I Am Home

HAN Jiwon – The Sea on the Day When the Magic Returns

HIEU, Joseph (Producer) – The Accidental Getaway Driver

HO, Hieu (Producer) – Shortcomings

HOUANG, Maegan (Screenwriter) – Jamojaya

HUANG Junxiang (Producer) – In My Mother’s Skin

HUANG, Shuli – Will You Look At Me

JALALI, Babak – Fremont

KASH, Lyle Ravi (Producer) – Bigger on the Inside

KAUR, Sarvnik – Against the Tide

* KESHAVARZ, Maryam – The Persian Version

KHATAM, Maziyar (Producer / Screenwriter) – Baba

KHOOSAT, Sarmad Sultan (Producer) – Joyland

KIM, Amanda – Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV

* KIM, Su (Producer) – The Tuba Thieves

KOH, David (Producer) – Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV

LEE, Sing J. – The Accidental Getaway Driver

LIEW, Bradley (Producer) – In My Mother’s Skin

MANZOOR, Nida – Polite Society

MAYA, Reema – Nocturnal Burger

* MEHTA, Richie – Poacher

MOGHIMI, Marjaneh (Producer) – Fremont

MUNRO, Mariko (Producer) – Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV

NIASARI, Noora – Shayda

OSORIO, Gale (Producer) – It’s Raining Frogs Outside

PAISO, Maria Estela – It’s Raining Frogs Outside

PAO, Alan (Producer) – Jamojaya

PARK, Randall – Shortcomings

PAUL, Nova – Hawaiki

PRIAMBODO, Anggun – Evacuation of Mama Emola

RAVICHANDRAN, Sujanth – Pipes

SADIQ, Saim – Joyland

SANGHANI, Shaun (Producer) – Jamojaya

SARGENT, Liz – Take Me Home

SHROFF, Sudnya (Producer) – Fremont

SONG, Celine – Past Lives

SUMAR, Sabiha (Producer) – Joyland

TCHENG, Frédéric – Invisible Beauty

TOMINE, Adrian (Screenwriter) – Shortcomings

WANN, Jesse (Producer) – Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV

YANAGIMOTO, Chiaki – AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

YUKI, Yoko – In the Big Yard Inside the Teeny-Weeny Pocket

ZENOU, Yann (Producer) – The Pod Generation

ZHEN Li – fur


A still from A Guide for When Immigrants Become Ancestors by Iliana Garcia, an official selection of the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival. Courtesy of Slamdance Film Festival.

Slamdance (Directors unless otherwise indicated)

All links go to the Slamdance Program pageclick on the respective categories to access info on the following films:

AL-AZZAWI, Karrar – Bagdad on Fire

ALIMOHAMMADI, Aminreza – Snail

ALYASEER, Ahmad – Our Males and Females

CAI, Caibei – Silver Cave

CHEN, Law – Starring Jerry as Himself   

D’OENCH, Robin Takeo – Here Comes Frieda

ENG, Erica – Off Fairfax

FENG, Aina (Producer) – Red Threads (我很爱你)

GARCIA, Iliana – A Guide For When Immigrants Become Ancestors

GONG, Diana – Horse

HENARES, Quark – What is the Lie?

HSU, Jerry (Screenwriter) – Starring Jerry as Himself

HSU, Jonathan (Producer) – Starring Jerry as Himself

KIM Bowon – Stars in the Ordinary Universe

KONDO Keishi – New Religion

KONG, Melissa – Don’t Worry About It

MA Yuchi – Red Threads (我很爱你)

MAHESH, Nina – Aleeya

NGUYEN, Kay (Producer) – When The LAPD Blows Up Your Neighborhood

SAUDAGAR, Shujaat – The Underbug

TAJIRI, Rea – Wisdom Gone Wild

* TAKASUE, Kimi – Onlookers

TRAN Linh – Waiting for the Light to Change

TSUNO Reiki – Mad Cats

XIA, Nathan (Producer) – Jimmy Boden

#APAParkCity Wraps “Sweet 16” Edition in Style

And That’s A WRAP From Wellhaus/Old Town Cellars! The entire organizing team and volunteers of the “Sweet 16” edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City can finally exhale. (Photo: Andrew Ge)

By Abraham Ferrer

Three days. Five events. Two parties. And a whopping eight filmmaker panels, comprising over thirty speakers for a total audiences of nearly 800 cinematic and media artists, activists, and casual movie-goers. The “Sweet 16” edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City certainly did not lack for participants. Indeed, since 2002, the Experience — a coalition-style collaborative effort among APA media arts and artist organizations that included Visual Communications, David Magdael & Associates, Kollaboration, the Center for Asian American Media, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, Asia Society/Southern California, Gold House, the Asian American Documentary Network, and Asians in Hollywood — has sought to create a space whereby filmmakers with works premiering at the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals are foregrounded and celebrated by the ever-increasing APA communities that annually make the trek to Park City, Utah for the first and arguably the most-anticipated celebration of independent cinema on the film festival calendar.

The plethora of speaker panels was no accident: with the increasing profile of works by filmmakers of color in recent years, the need to expand the range of activities that #APAParkCity organizers create for Sundance and Slamdance filmmakers has morphed from an annual dinner buffet and mixer, to a series that affords a critical opportunity for Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Asian international creatives to celebrate their achievements while addressing the systemic obstacles that continue to inhibit the APA cinematic communities’ enfranchisement in the entertainment industry.

“To have a space where our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) filmmakers, storytellers, creatives, and industry supporters are celebrated and recognized at Sundance and Slamdance is essential,” said Laarni Rosca Dacanay, an #APAParkCity organizing member and chairperson of the PBS SoCal Asian Pacific Islander Community Council. “By highlighting their work, we add another layer of focus to the stories representing all people of color and other underrepresented communities.

“The AAPI lens is an integral part of the human experience,” added Dacanay. “With events like the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, we are able to support telling all our diverse stories and showing the world how vibrant our AAPI community is.”

Anchored by a pair of filmmaker panels that punctuated the #APAParkCity “Main Event” programs on Park City Sunday at the Wellhaus/Old Town Cellars along Main Street, the stellar line-up of panel events and speakers throughout this year’s edition spoke not only to the broad range of artistic expressions showcased at both Park City festivals, but offered a chance to offer strategies on how to be competitive and successful in this entertainment “new normal.”

That ongoing struggle for enfranchisement provided the underpinnings for the gaggle of boisterous actors who shared their thoughts with NBC News reporter Kimmy Yam in “Unfolding Narratives: Our Stories to Tell,” the HBO/TBS panel in partnership with #APAParkCity that kicked things off on Friday, Jan. 24. Karan Soni, a co-star with fellow panelist Geraldine Viswanathan of the TBS anthology comedy MIRACLE WORKERS, recounted his struggles as an actor of color out of USC before gaining a crucial foothold through independent streaming series and commercials (a mainstay of the raunchy DEADPOOL blockbuster films, Soni is also known as a Diet Coke pitchman). Geraldine, a comedic actor in her native Australia, along with fellow actors Suzy Nakamura (DR. KEN) and Alexander Hodge (INSECURE) likewise amplified the improved climate for Asian American and Asian actors to land more nuanced roles in Hollywood, though they cautioned that the path to a rewarding, sustained career remains fraught with challenges as being offered stereotypical parts and a lack of imagination on the part of producers and writers to create more significant characters for them and their peers. #APAParkCity organizer Minji Chang, who can be seen in the upcoming feature LISA MANIA, foregrounded her role in the long-running talent incubator Kollaboration as one way through which Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders can access and even create meaningful onscreen roles in the mainstream.

Day Two, January 25, saw a dizzyingly rapid-fire trio of panels at the Kimball Arts Center organized by the Asia Society’s Northern and Southern California chapters and Harbour, and hosted by longtime producer Janet Yang. While the cumulative effects of sitting in on a whopping three panels in the space of a mere two hours barely afforded any of the panelists to really cut loose and fully express themselves, the overflow crowd were nevertheless presented with a broad range of issues and challenges addressed by the panelists. In the lead-off panel “Producers: Women Hold Up Half the Sky at Sundance”, festival perenniels Nina Yang Bongiovi (FRUITVALE STATION; ROXANNE, ROXANNE; SORRY TO BOTHER YOU), Mynette Louie (I CARRY YOU WITH ME), and Naja Lockwood (co-founder, Game Changer Films; executive producer, GOOK; LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM) shared how each of them got their start as producers as well as the setbacks each of them experienced as they worked to gain a foothold in the independent producing sphere.

In the equally succinct ensuing panel entitled “Directors: Telling Original Stories”, Los Angeles-based director Edson Oda and documentary director/producer Bao Nguyen ranged over the myriad choices each of them made in creating a narrative feature that works more like a piece of personal cinema (Oda’s NINE DAYS, a Sundance Narrative Competition selection), and a documentary that relied heavily upon historical and home-movie footage (Nguyen’s BE WATER, which screened in Documentary Competition). In the end, it seemed that it was the actors that everyone came to see, and in the final panel “Actors: Cutting It On The Big Screen”, the audience pretty much got what they wanted — that is, if an exclusively all-male panel sans women was what they wanted to see. Moderator Yang played host to Chris Pang (PALMS SPRINGS), Benedict Wong (NINE DAYS), and Daniel Dae Kim (BLAST BEAT) in a conversation that inevitably circled back around to re-hashing past exploits — for Pang, entreaties to comment on the lingering after-effects of starring in Jon M. Chu’s 2018 CRAZY RICH ASIANS; and for Wong, recounting the long-term benefits of his association with the Marvel Comic Universe. For his part, Kim glossed over his departure from the television series HAWAII 5-0 over pay equity issues, though it seemed clear that he would rather have wanted to talk about his multiple roles as executive producer and co-star of the highly-lauded period piece BLAST BEAT, which was generating some “buzz” during the Sundance opening weekend.

The jamb-packed Day Three activities on Sunday, January 26 saw the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience return to the Kimball Arts Center for the CAAM-sponsored panel “Shouldering the Future.” #APAParkCity co-founder David Magdael moderated a panel composed of women film professionals whose influence on independent media has been, in a word, profound. Effie Brown, CEO of the recently-formed Gamechanger Films, regaled the capacity audience with her experiences facing institutional racism throughout the mainstream entertainment industry, and how those struggles informed her sense of determination in being an agent of change on behalf of cinematic artists of color (see: Matt Damon, PROJECT GREENLIGHT — that sordid chapter of her career was referenced, to the collective disgust of the audience). Noted film/television editor and producer Jean Tsien recounted her rise as the “go-to” editor and mentor of many independent productions over a nearly twenty year career to observe the emergence of a new generation of APA cinema artist, while relative newcomer Sheroum Kim recounted her journey from a staffer at a Hollywood talent agency to her current position as Director of Original Independent Film at Netflix. The trio encouraged media makers in the audience to always lend a helping hand to the next generation of artists who will follow them, and cautioned that not only their skills, but their sense of value and self-worth will always be challenged.

From Kimball Arts Center, it was a quick dash up to the Firelight House and the panel “Power To The POC”, which was organized by the Asian American Documentary Network. Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker Grace Lee led a talk spotlighting the burgeoning role of people of color in production, distribution, and policy-making on behalf of minority filmmakers. Grace was joined by Gina Duncan, Associate Vice President of Film and Strategic Programming at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; Laura Kim, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Participant Media; Carrie Lozano, Director of the International Documentary Association’s Enterprise Fund and Pare Lorentz Fund; and Cynthia López, Executive Director of New York Women in Film & Television.

Finally, the action shifted back up to Main Street Park City, where #APAParkCity’s “Main Event” activities kicked off a pair of panels assessing the need for APA filmmakers and entertainment professionals to “up” their game in this nascent decade. As part of the first panel, “Changemakers,” Magdael sprinted back from Kimball Arts Center to the overflow Wellhaus/Old Town Cellars to host a gathering of media professionals and, in some cases, old friends in a frank discussion of the ways in which APAs are creating space for artists of color to succeed in the independent and mainstream arena. The panel, including Mahin Ibrahim of The Walt Disney Company, Christina Chou of Creative Artists Agency, ARRAY President Tilane Jones, filmmaker and producer Derek Nguyen, and Michelle Sugihara – executive director of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment touched on a number of issues that centered around strategies for comprehensive support and talent incubation from within the APA creative communities. Jones, no stranger to past #APAParkCity panels, referenced the intentionality of establishing multi-award-winning director/producer Ava DuVernay’s distribution/production company ARRAY within Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown as a means of centering their company within an ethnic creative hub; while Chou elicited “oohs” and “ahas” in mentioning that as part of her efforts to make an impact on behalf of the APA cinematic community, she shepherded the creation of Lee Isaac Chung’s Sundance Grand Jury Award-winning narrative MINARI. Ibrahim, director of The Walt Disney Company’s Multicultural Audience Engagement initiative, described her efforts to establish Launchpad, a Disney incubator program for filmmakers from underserved communities, while Nguyen shared news of his role in launching The Population, a film production company in collaboration with fellow #APAParkCity alum Mynette Louie and Mollye Asher. Sugihara, who in five years transformed CAPE from a movie professionals group largely satisfied with organizing networking opportunities into a vibrant talent incubator and advocate on behalf of Asian American and Pacific Islander cinematic talents, amplified her fellow panelists efforts to catalyze their collective resources and experiences for the benefit of our creative communities.

Of course, the longtime backbone of Asian Pacific American cinema lay in non-fiction cinema, and in the final #APAParkcity panel “Truthtellers,” organizers honored that enduring tradition through the collective power of longtime documentarians Bao Nguyen (BE WATER), Ramona Diaz (A THOUSAND CUTS), and Shalini Kantayya (CODED BIAS). While Sundance Film Festival darling and 2020 Momentum Fellow Andrew Ahn (SPA NIGHT) was seemingly the odd one out — an exclusively narrative storyteller, his latest long-form narrative DRIVEWAYS is slated for a Springtime theatrical release — he proved adept at eliciting nuanced and valued insights from the threesome as they shared their perspectives on the urgency of their stories, and the reactions they were preparing to receive from Park City audiences that weekend. And, a pair of absolutely fierce Pinoiz — Bay Area hip-hop artist Ruby Ibarra, who lent serious rhymes to Diaz’ A THOUSAND CUTS; and journalist Dino-Ray Ramos, who implored the audience to support and help sustain the storytelling instincts of APA filmmakers —underscored the themes coursing throughout the weekend-long series of events. In assessing the overall impact of #APAParkCity 2020, co-organizer Minji Chang noted the commitment of the combined Sundance/Slamdance communities. “It’s further proof that diversity in film is not a passing trend, but a much needed reflection and expression of our true experiences and authentic realities,” said Chang. “By creating spaces for underrepresented voices to be heard, we are opening up minds and opportunities for progress to happen swiftly and effectively.”

In the end, the events of the “Sweet 16” edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience are inspired by our creative communities’ storytelling and ability to foreground our experiences and perspectives, and that we cannot count on others to tells those stories accurately and honestly. Perhaps that was why the celebratory tone of the weekend events took a suddenly solemn and contemplative turn when, in the midst of the “Shouldering the Future” panel, cellphones throughout the Kimball Arts Center blew up with the shocking news that NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other colleagues perished early Sunday morning in a helicopter crash against a Calabasas hillside. The loss of a famed, though complicated, sports hero who was on the verge of transitioning into the entertainment field elicited a passionate, nuanced response from Nina Yang Bongiovi, the recipient of #APAParkCity’s second Irene Cho Pioneer Award. Bongiovi, a Sundance-hardened producer starting with her 2013 FRUITVALE directed by Ryan Coogler, acknowledged Bryant’s passing in the midst of recounting the many hits and misses of a nearly 20-year-long career while admonishing the rapt audience that “tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone,” and that not waiting for anyone to confer “permission” to realizing one’s vision is what matters most of all. More prescient sentiments could not have been expressed for an otherwise celebratory weekend.

___________________

The “Sweet 16” edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City was generously co-hosted by The Walt Disney Company, Home Box Office, Inc., Comcast/NBCUniversal, the Center for Asian American Media, and SAG/AFTRA.

And finally, a Special Thanks to the #APAParkCity Organizing team, panelists, and volunteers: Linda Mabalot, Founding #APAParkCity member (Posthumous); Irene Cho, Sustaining #APAParkCity member (Posthumous); Andrew Ahn; Nina Yang Bongiovi; Effie Brown; Minji Chang; Janet Chen; S. Leo Chiang; Christina Chou; Roshini Chuganey; Margaret Conley; Tricia Coonrad; Francis Cullado; Laarni Rosca Dacanay; Susan Jin Davis; Gina Duncan; Henry Eshelman; Abraham Ferrer; Ellen Huang; Ruby Ibarra; Mahin Ibrahim; Tilane Jones; Jess; Shalini Kantayya; Chris Kim; Daniel Dae Kim; Laura Kim; Sheroum Kim; Ileana Lagares; Megan Lau; Grace Lee; Ed Lew; Kyra Lewis; Naja Lockwood; Cynthia López; Mynette Louie; Carrie Lozano|; David Magdael; Verna Myers; Masashi Niwano; Bao Nguyen; Derek Nguyen; Edson Oda; Chris Pang; Tyng Pan; Raymond Perkins; Deborah Renteria; JoSaen Ronquillo; Sapana Sakya; Rachelle Samson; Stephanie Shih; Michelle Sugihara; Jean Tsien; Nicole Tsien; Rexille; Janna Wang; Panney Wei; John Wirfs; Benedict Wong; Jo-Ann Wong; Dorothy Xiao; Janet Yang; Donald Young; and Marvin Yueh

Nina Yang Bongiovi to Receive #APAParkCity’s Irene Cho Pioneer Award

Producer Nina Yang Bongiovi was recently named the recipient of the 2020 Irene Cho Pioneer Award by the organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City. The award, which recognizes Bongiovi’s two decade-long career as a producer and executive producer of over 20 feature-length narrative, documentary, and TV series, is named after the late radio producer and filmmaker advocate Irene Cho, who stepped into a leadership role with #APAParkCity in 2013 and elevated the event’s profile in its second decade.

The Award will be presented during #APAParkCity’s “Main Event” activities on Sunday, January 26, 2020 at Wellhaus/Old Town Cellars, 408 Main St. in the heart of Park City, UT.

“The organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience are honored and thrilled to present this special award to Nina Yang Bongiovi,” said David Magdael, a founding member of #APAParkCity. “Nina truly exemplifies the term, ‘pioneer,’ and what truly makes her unique is her support of cinematic artists whose stories reflect the experiences of all marginalized and underserved communities. She recalls the spirit and determination of our dear colleague Irene Cho, and we are excited to recognize Nina’s dedication and support of authentic filmmaking voices.”

With two decades of experience in the motion picture industry, Nina Yang Bongiovi has gained a positive reputation for having an in-depth knowledge of film financing, creative and physical producing, and a knack for discovering talent, like that of Ryan Coogler (Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER), whose first film, FRUITVALE STATION (2013) was produced by Nina and her producing partner, actor and producer Forest Whitaker. 

Together under their banner, Significant Productions, Nina and Forest have produced a number of critically-acclaimed films by auteur filmmakers of color, including DOPE (2015) by Rick Famuyiwa, SONGS MY BROTHERS TAUGHT ME (2015) by Chloe Zhao, ROXANNE ROXANNE (2018) by Michael Larnell and SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (2018) by Boots Riley. Currently, they are in post-production on PASSING, Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut based on Nella Larsen’s novel of the same name. They also serve as executive producers on EPIX’s hit TV show, GODFATHER OF HARLEM. 

Nina is a board member of Film Independent, The Oscar Grant Foundation, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE), The Producers Guild of America (PGA), as well as a member of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences’ (AMPAS) Producers Branch. She is fluent in Mandarin, Chinese, and received her graduate degree in Entertainment Management from the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California.

For complete details on all the events comprising the Sweet 16 edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City, go toapaparkcity2020.splashthat.com

#APAParkCity Capper “Expanding the Asian American Narrative…” Closes Out “Sweet 16” Edition

A packed house at the Kickstarter Lodge listens in to panelists at the 2019 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City. (Photo: Andrew Ge)

“And in the end, we all meet up on Main Street.” #APAParkCity’s MAIN EVENT is the culmination of a full weekend of activities and events that CELEBRATE and FOREGROUND our Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Asian international cinematic artists. JOIN US at Wellhaus/Old Town Cellars, 408 Main St. in the heart of Park City, UT as we present panels that expand the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) experience beyond genre, language, and borders. Hear from filmmakers and media executives as they delve into this new era of AAPI storytelling that is reaching wider audiences. The afterwards, STAY for our “Meet the Filmmakers” reception and toast our AAPI cinematic artists in the heart of Park City!

Preceding the first panel, we will honor producer Nina Yang Bongiovi with the 2020 Irene Cho Pioneer Award. And in a special pre-Reception performance, Bay Area hip hop artist Ruby Ibarra will spit mad rhymes featured in director Ramona Diaz’ Sundance Competition Documentary A THOUSAND CUTS. You would NOT want to miss any of this!

Let’s meet our esteemed panelists, shall we?

At 3:20 PM: CHANGEMAKERS

CHRISTINA CHOU is an agent at leading entertainment and sports talent firm Creative Artists Agency. She works across the Motion Picture, Literary and Corporate Development departments to identify opportunities for CAA and its clients globally, with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region. Based in Los Angeles, Chou represents leading Chinese writers and directors, including Chen Kaige, Chen Man and Cathy Yan, among others. She began her career at the Economic and Trade Policy office at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, DC. She then worked at Plan C Group, a boutique talent management company, before joining CAA in 2011. Chou graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science.

MAHIN IBRAHIM is the Director of Multicultural Audience Engagement for The Walt Disney Studios, currently managing its brand-new short film incubator for underrepresented directors, Launchpad. She was previously at Refinery29 in development/production, and spent the majority of her career at Google and YouTube, where she helped run production programs with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion at its flagship studio for YouTube creators. In addition, she writes creative non-fiction, and holds an M.F.A. in Production from USC and a B.A. in Mass Communication and Business Administration from UC Berkeley.

TILANE JONES has worked with award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay for over ten years. Beginning with public relations and promotional company the The DuVernay Agency as well as production entity Forward Movement, then leading DuVernay’s grass-roots film distribution collective ARRAY as Vice President. In 2019 she was appointed President of ARRAY. Jones now leads Array Alliance, the non-profit dedicated to social impact and education, as well as The Array Creative Campus, a three-building compound for production and public programming focused on marginalized filmmakers. She will continue to oversee Array Releasing, the company’s film distribution arm, where she has been responsible for the acquisition, booking and marketing of the collective’s 25+ films.

DEREK NGUYEN is an award-winning writer, director, and independent producer. He wrote and directed THE HOUSEMAID (Cô Hầu Gái) (HKFilm Vietnam & CJ Entertainment), which was released theatrically by IFC Films in 2018 as well as in 22 different territories around the world. Derek is one of the producers of an American adaptation of the film currently in development at CJ Entertainment America and co-written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious). Derek was a fellow at the Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab for the screenplay adaptation of his play, MONSTER (East West Players, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, Public Theatre New Work Now, Edgar Allen Poe Best Play nomination) and a 2004 Screenwriting Fellow at the New York Foundation for the Arts. Derek’s short, THE POTENTIAL WIVES OF NORMAN MAO narrated by George Takei (Star Trek), screened at the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival, LA Shorts Fest, and the Asian American International Film Festival (NYC) among others. Derek co-wrote SEEING RED (directed by Liselle Mei), which was a part of the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival’s All-Access Alumni Program and the 2007 IFP Market’s No Borders Program. He was creative consultant on Sundance project STONES IN THE SUN (directed by Patricia Benoit, Tribeca Film Festival). Derek was the Associate Producer of MISTER GREEN (directed by Greg Pak), ADDICTED TO FRESNO (directed by Jamie Babbit), LOVESONG (directed by So Yong Kim, Strand Releasing), BUSTER’S MAL HEART (directed by Sarah Adina Smith, starring Rami Malek, Well Go USA), Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated THE TALE (directed by Jennifer Fox, starring Laura Dern, Ellen Burnstyn, and Common, HBO), and THE LONG DUMB ROAD (directed by Hannah Fidell, Universal). Derek has worked at the Tribeca Film Institute and was the Director of Operations & Creative Affairs for Gamechanger Films, where he developed and financed LAND HO! (directed by Martha Stephens & Aaron Katz, Sony Pictures Classics), THE INVITATION (directed by Karyn Kusama, Drafthouse Films & Netflix), Sundance-winner NANCY (directed by Christina Choe, Samuel Goldwyn Pictures), among others. He recently co-founded The Population, a film production company with Mynette Louie and Mollye Asher that focuses on producing feature films by or about women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and other underrepresented groups. Derek is producing SECRET SKY, a feature film written by Abdi Nazemian and Micah Schraft with producers Carol Polakoff, Daniel Marc Dreifuss, and Jason Taylor. Derek is a proud member of the WGA East.

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 on the leadership team of Time’s Up Entertainment AAPI, a founding member of the Asian Pacific American Friends of the Theater and a member of PBS-Southern California Asian Pacific Islander Community Council. 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: @cape_usa.

DAVID MAGDAEL (Moderator) has 20 years of experience in public relations, strategic planning, development, marketing, community outreach and entertainment and media relations in North America, Europe And Asia. As founder and President of David Magdael & Associates, Inc., Magdael specializes in documentaries, indie films, directors and public affairs. From developing Oscar® campaigns, festival strategies, theatrical, and broadcast press unit publicity, his company has emerged as an important entertainment communications firm boasting a client roster including numerous Oscar® winning and nominated documentary, animated and short films and festival standouts. Magdael’s firm works with all distributors, content creators and broadcast networks along with representing award-winning directors including Morgan Spurlock, Justin Lin, Brian Knappenberger, Lucy Walker, Jehane Noujaim, Kief Davidson, Steve James and others. A co-director of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival since 1997, Magdael founded, with Visual Communications’ Executive Director Linda Mabalot, entertainment publicist Winston Emano, and core founding members Abraham Ferrer, Risa Morimoto, Toni Tabora, and Irene Cho, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City in 2002. @DMagPR

At 4:20 PM: TRUTHTELLERS

RAMONA DIAZ is an award-winning Asian American filmmaker best known for her compelling character-driven documentaries that combine a profound appreciation for cinematic aesthetics and potent storytelling. Ramona’s films have demonstrated her ability to gain intimate access to the people she films – be they rock stars, first ladies, dissidents, or teachers — resulting in keenly observed moments and nuanced narratives that are unforgettable. She has received funding from major agencies such as the Independent Television Service (ITVS), the Sundance Documentary Fund, MacArthur Foundation, Tribeca Institute, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Prior to pursuing a career as an independent filmmaker, Diaz was an associate producer for CADILLAC DESERT, a major PBS documentary series about the quest for water in the American West. In 2005, Diaz broadened her repertoire to include television commercial directing and producing. Diaz is a graduate of Emerson College, Boston and holds an MA in Communication from Stanford University. Ramona’s production company, CineDiaz, currently has a slate of feature documentaries and feature films at various stages of production and development.

SHALINI KANTAYYA is the director of the documentary feature CODED BIAS in the 2020 Sundance U.S. Documentary Competition. She recently directed an episode for the National Geographic series Breakthrough. Broadcast June 2017 with Executive Producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, the series profiles trailblazing scientists who will transform our future. Her debut feature film, CATCHING THE SUN, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and was named a New York Times Critics’ Pick. The film released globally on Netflix on Earth Day 2016 with Executive Producer Leonardo DiCaprio, and was nominated for the Environmental Media Association Award for Best Documentary. Kantayya finished in the top 10 out of 12,000 filmmakers on Fox’s ON THE LOT, a show by Steven Spielberg in search of Hollywood’s next great director. A William J. Fulbright Scholar, Kantayya is a Sundance Documentary Film Fellow, a TED Fellow, and a finalist for the ABC Disney | DGA Directing Program.

BAO NGUYEN is a Vietnamese American filmmaker whose past work has been seen in the New York Times, HBO, NBC, Vice, ARTE, and PBS. He has directed, produced, and shot a number of short films, which have played internationally in numerous festivals and museums including MoMA and the Smithsonian. He has worked with prestigious commercial clients such as Google, McDonald’s, US Department of State, Microsoft, Hugo Boss, Hewlett Packard, Amnesty International, Disaronno, Intercontinental Hotels, among many others. He was the producer and cinematographer of NUOC 2030, a feature narrative set in near future Vietnam that opened the Panorama section of the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival and was a recipient of the TFI Sloan Filmmaker Award. His feature doc directorial debut, LIVE FROM NEW YORK opened the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival and went onto screen at prestigious festivals such as Hot Docs, BFI London, and IDFA. He is a 2011 PBS/WGBH Producers Workshop Fellow and an alumnus of the 2012 and 2014 Berlinale Talent Campus. He earned his BA in Politics/International Relations at NYU and his MFA in Social Documentary Film at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is currently based in Saigon, Vietnam.

     “People often say documentaries don’t look cinematic and that narrative/scripted projects don’t feel real and authentic enough. As a filmmaker, I don’t find beauty and authenticity to be mutual exclusive. My goal as a filmmaker is to find the harmony between the two; making the reality in front of us cinematic and beautiful. Working with real locations, real people, and bringing those true-to-life stories and worlds into my film aesthetic is my passion.”

ANDREW AHN (Moderator) is a Korean American filmmaker born and raised in Los Angeles. His debut feature film SPA NIGHT premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Ahn participated in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, and the Film Independent Directing Lab for the project. With his producing team, Ahn raised over $62,000 on Kickstarter to fund production. The project also received a Sundance Institute Cinereach Feature Film Fellow grant, Panavision New Filmmaker grant, and FilmLA grant. Ahn’s latest feature, DRIVEWAYS, premiered at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival and will premiere theatrically in the Spring. Ahn was also recently named a 2020 Sundance Institute Momentum Fellow.

     Ahn’s short film DOL (First Birthday) premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and has screened at numerous other festivals and venues around the world, including the Lincoln Center, REDCAT, and the Los Angeles Film Festival. The film received the Outfest Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Short Film and the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival Jury Award for Best Narrative Short. Ahn is an alum of Film Independent’s Project Involve and has promoted diversity in the arts by mentoring youth filmmakers through programs like Pacific Arts Movement’s Reel Voices and Outfest’s OutSet. He is also a board member of Los Angeles Performance Practice. He graduated from Brown University and received an MFA in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

For complete details on all the events comprising the Sweet 16 edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City, go to: apaparkcity2020.splashthat.com

Introducing: The #APAParkCity Class of 2020!

A still from Bao Nguyen’s Sundance Documentary Competition film BE WATER, about iconic martial arts pioneer Bruce Lee. (Photo courtesy Dorothy St. Pictures)

Whew, this list is kinda long (a whopping 76 artists — an unoffical record!), but for those attending the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festival’s in Park City, Utah, the #APAParkCity team wants to let you all know who we’re celebrating, centering, and spotlighting this year. A mix of past #APAParkCity honorees and bright-eyed newcomers portends much excitement and promise for the coming year. Be sure to catch these filmmakers’ films and new media productions. We think this group is very special. And we think you’ll agree with us wholeheartedly!

Sundance (Directors unless otherwise indicated; * are #APAParkCity returnees)

SHOHREH AGHDASHLOO (Producer)RUN SWEETHEART RUN

ZHANNAT ALSHANOVAPAOLA MAKES A WISH

* KARIM AMERPERSUASION MACHINES

JOKO ANWARIMPETIGORE

MASSOUD BAKHSHIYALDA, A NIGHT FOR FORGIVENESS

WREGAS BHANUTEJANO ONE IS CRAZY IN THIS TOWN

VERA BRUNNER-SUNGCHARACTER

CEDRIC CHEUNG-LAUTHE MOUNTAINS ARE A DREAM THAT CALL TO ME

CHUNGYEAN CHOSCARECROW

* LEE ISAAC CHUNGMINARI

* RAMONA S. DIAZA THOUSAND CUTS

KIMO EASTERWOOD (Co-Director) – HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY-THE REN & STIMPY STORY

QINYA (JENNY) GUOLIVING DISTANCE

ALEXA LIM HAAS (Co-Director) – OMNIBOAT: A FAST BOAT FANTASIA

SONIA K. HADADEXAM

SHANTY HARMAYN (Producer) – IMPETIGORE

SANGHUN HEOSCARECROW

QURRATALAIN HYDER (Screenwriter) – ALL THAT PERISHES AT THE EDGE OF LAND

TAEWAN JEONGSCARECROW

JIHYUN JUNGSCARECROW

KABUKI SAWAKOTAKOYAKI STORY

SHALINI KANTAYYACODE FOR BIAS

KATHREEN KHAVARI (Creator) – EMBRACE

LANA KIM (Producer) – THE NOWHERE INN

YEONJEE KIMSCARECROW

* DANIEL KWAN (Co-Director) – OMNIBOAT: A FAST BOAT FANTASIA

DANNY LEEJUNIOR BANGERS

ROY LEE (Producer) – HIS HOUSE

SNGMOO LEESCARECROW

SIMON LIUE-TICKET

XIN LIULIVING DISTANCE

* MYNETTE LOUIE (Producer) – I CARRY YOU WITH ME

VINNIE MALHOTRA (Executive Producer) – LOVE FRAUD; THE TRADE

MIWA MATREYEKINFINITELY YOURS

HIRA NABIALL THAT PERISHES AT THE EDGE OF LAND

BAO NGUYENBE WATER

* DIFFAN SINA NORMANBENEVOLENT BA

EDSON ODANINE DAYS

CHRISTINA OH (Producer) – MINARI

RANDALL OKITATHE BOOK OF DISTANCE

JEFF ORLOWSKITHE SOCIAL DILEMMA

ANKIT POUDELSONG OF CLOUD

HENRICUS PRIA (Screenwriter) – NO ONE IS CRAZY IN THIS TOWN

ZAHRA RASOOLSTILL HERE

RISHI RIJANI (Producer) – THE 40-YEAR-OLD VERSION

FARNOOSH SAMADI (Screenwriter) – EXAM

* JESSICA SANDERSEMBRACE

TANYA SELVARATNAM (Producer) – AGGIE

TAYLOR SHUNG (Co-Producer) – OMNIBOAT: A FAST BOAT FANTASIA

HING WENG ERIC TSANGA THOUSAND SAILS

MILAD TANGSHIRVR FREE

DERRICK TSENG (Producer) – THE EVENING HOUR

* CHRISTINE TURNERBETYE SAAR: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

AI WEIWEIVIVOS

PING WONGWONG PING’S FABLES 2

COOPER YOOSCARECROW

Sundance Screenwriters’ Laboratory ( * are #APAParkCity returnees)

ANDREW THOMAS HUANGTIGER GIRL

* BING LIUCHINK

XIXI WANGSISYPHUS

Slamdance (Directors unless otherwise indicated; * are #APAParkCity returnees)
All links go to the Slamdance Program page; click on the respective categories under “Narrative” and “Short” to access info on the following films:

BEHNAM ABEDICEREMONY NIGHT

* JOANNA VASQUEZ ARONGTO CALM THE PIG INSIDE

EUNJU ARA CHOIHAPPY ENDING

AINA DUMLAO (Co-Producer) – SANZARU

DEEPTI GUPTAPROOF

* SHUNSAKI HAYASHILEAKING LIFE

ISAMU HIRABAYASHISHELL AND JOINT

CHAERIN IMMATE

NISHTHA JAINPROOF

RENUKA JEYAPALANTHE 410 “EPISODE TWO”

AMIN KAFASHZADEH (Screenwriter) – GRAY BODY

BRIAN YULO NG24

KENNY RICHES (Executive Producer) – SANZARU

PARDEEP SAHOTABLEEDING ART “EPISODE ONE”

RAJEE SAMARASINGHETHE EYE OF SUMMER

HAMAD HOSEINI SANGARI (Screenwriter) – CEREMONY NIGHT

CASSIE SHAOTHERE WERE FOUR OF US

SAMANEH SHOJAEIGRAY BODY

DANSKI TANGUMBILICAL

SUPINDER WRAICH (Creator/Screenwriter) – THE 410 “EPISODE TWO”

ZHANG AND KNIGHTSWEEP AWAY HUNGRY GHOSTS

More details on #APAParkCity events and gatherings coming soon!