Following a well-attended soiree in Los Angeles on May 8, organizers of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience are set to bring its party to the San Francisco Bay Area as APFE will be presented on Sunday, May 12 starting at 2 PM at Four One Nine Gallery (419 10th St, San Francisco, CA 94103) as part of CAAMFest 2024, San Francisco’s Asian American international film festival presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM). A longtime co-organizer of the Experience events dating from the inaugural edition at park City, Utah in 2002, CAAM’s hosting of the APFE party in San Francisco continues a policy of supporting and foregrounding cinematic artists of Asian Pacific descent at festivals at strategic event throughout the nation.
In a statement released earlier in the week, APFE organizers acknowledged the importance of recognizing APA cinematic artists, particularly at venues where their presence has been historically marginalized. “We continue to honor and recognize cinematic artists whose works are premiering at CAAMFest,” organizers explained, alluding to the fact that while CAAMFest and the recently-concluded VC Film Fest exclusively focus on elevating and including APA makers in their respective programs, the same cannot be said for mainstream festivals including and Sundance, South by Southwest, and Tribeca film festivals, where the marked paucity of works by APAs and other peoples of color bring into sharp relief importance of events as APFE.
The 2024 edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in San Francisco (#APASanFrancisco) will be held at:
Date: Sunday, May 12, 2024 Time: 2 – 4 PM PT Location: Four One Nine Gallery (419 10th St, San Francisco, CA 94103)
The twentieth Anniversary edition of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience is generously underwritten by:
And is presented by the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience organizing Committee, composed of:
Asian American Media Alliance David Magdael & Associates Center for Asian American Media CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) Kollaboration Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC) Visual Communications
On March 12, 2024, the 2024 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) @ SXSW celebrated six years at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) by recognizing AANHPI filmmakers, storytellers, creatives and community leaders at a fun and engaging networking reception. This year, the event was also an official SXSW listing!
Co-hosted with local lead partner, the Austin Asian American Film Festival, in conjunction with the Taiwan Beats Showcase Day Party, the festive event was held at Palm Door on Sixth, where over 200 creatives, industry executives, SXSW filmmakers, influencers, local Austin and Texas-area AANHPI filmmakers, community leaders, and AANHPI allies and supporters, gathered for informal networking and connecting.
Noted attendees included six-time SXSW musical artist and documentary film subject “Big Phony” (Bobby Choy); local filmmaker, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences member and AMPAS AANHPI Affinity Group Leader PJ Raval; actor Olivia Liang (Kung Fu); writer/producer Cherish Chen (RocketJump Film School), and actor Jordan Rodrigues (We’re All Gonna Die). Attendees were treated to drinks and Asian snacks courtesy of APFE from Asahi Imports – Austin’s only exclusively Japanese market. Guests also heard from SXSW filmmakers Nicole Chi (Los Mosquitos), Chi Thai(Lullaby), Mackie Mallison (Live From The Clouds) – who were invited on stage to share more about their projects. Thank you shout outs were given to SXSW’s James Minor (VP of Music Festival) and Stacie Cline (Music Festival Venues Manager). Kudos was also given to 2024 APFE partners, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), Warner Bros. Access and NBCUniversal LAUNCH, for whose support makes events like this possible.
Tuesday, March 12, 12:00pm – 3:00pm APFE at SXSW Palm Door On Sixth, 508 East 6th Street, Austin, TX
Join us for the annual Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience at Palm Door on 6th! As we just celebrated our 20th Edition at Sundance Film Festival, we continue to honor and recognize cinematic artists whose works premier at SXSW, to celebrate the creative media of AANHPI and Asian international cinema artists! Network indoors with other AANHPI filmmakers, industry professionals, and creatives. Attendees are welcome to also rock out at the outdoor stage which has the Taiwan Beats Day Party at the Palm Door on 6th.
Open to all official SXSW Badge and wristband holders
For the second time this season, we encounter another slimmed-down but impactful program line-up of works by Asian American and Pacific Islander filmmakers at a major U.S. film festival — this time, at the upcoming South by Southwest Conferences and Film, Television, and Music Festivals set to begin March 8, 2024 in Austin, TX. There are very few works that premiered earlier at the Sundance Film Festival back in January — four, in fact — plus one that premiered last September at the Toronto International Film Festival. However, we think that this line-up is fresh and exciting, and that our annual #APAAustin happening currently set for Tuesday, March 12 will provide an opportunity for and and all to meet an entirely new community of cinematic artists. Just click on the artists’ film link for a detailed description of their works, plus showtimes. And be sure to click back for complete event details.
As 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
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.
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, Whammy – BOLD EAGLE (Short – Int’l Narrative) AL-KADHI, Amrou – LAYLA (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) AMIRFAZLI, Raha (Co-Director) – IN THE LAND OF BROTHERS (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) BELL, Jon – THE 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, Tony – THREE SEASONS (40th Anniversary Celebration) CHANG, Mandy (Producer) – DEVO (Premieres) CHEN, Dongnan – 14 PAINTINGS (Short – Non-Fiction) CHU, An – THE STAG (Short – Int’l Narrative) * DIAZ, Ramona – AND SO IT BEGINS (Premieres) GHASEMI, Alireza (Co-Director) – IN THE LAND OF BROTHERS (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) ITO, Shiori – BLACK BOX DIARIES (World Cinema Documentary Competition) KO, Masha – THE LOOMING (Short – U.S. Narrative) LIN Jianjie – BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) * MAING, Stephen – UNION (U.S. Documentary Competition) MAFILE’O, Vea – MOTHER TONGUE (Lea Tupu’anga) (Short – Int’l Narrative) MURATA, Takeshi – LARRY (Short – Animated) NADARAJAH, Ayesha (Producer) – THE HEART (Short – U.S. Narrative) NAGAHISA, Makoto – PISKO THE CRAB CHILD IS IN LOVE (Short – Int’l Narrative) * NAIR, Mira – MISSISSIPPI MASALA (40th Anniversary Celebration) NGUYEN, Tina (Executive Producer) – THE SYNANON FIX (Episodics) * NORMAN, Diffan Sina – PASTURE PRIME (Short – U.S. Narrative) QIN, Alexandra – THIRSTYGIRL (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, Andy – THE SMALLEST POWER (Short – Non-Fiction) SHI, Connie (Producer) – THE LOOMING CLOUD (Short – U.S. Narrative) SISIPOUR, Amir Ali – SHALAL (Short – Int’l Narrative) TALATI, Shuchi – GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS (World Cinema Dramatic Competition) * TELENGUT, Alisi – BAIGAL NUUR – LAKE BAIKAL (Short – Animation) WANG, Sean – DIDI (U.S. Narrative Competition) * ZHAN, Renee – SNAKE (Shé) (Short – U.S. Narrative)
THE ASIAN PACIFIC FILMMAKERS EXPERIENCE (APFE) proudly partnered with Pacific Arts Movement (PacArts) for the Filmmakers Brunch at their 24th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) in Mira Mesa, San Diego, CA on November 5.
This year, the event brought together over 150+ filmmakers, industry execs and festival attendees, with APFE’s Milton Liu (Interim Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance) and Rhian Moore (Programs Manager, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) addressing the crowd and celebrating their achievements, their storytelling and our communities.
Special thanks to PacArts’ and SDAFF’s Carmela Prudencio, Selena Do, Brian Hu and Alex Villafuerte for leading the way to this annual event, and congratulations on the success of the 24th annual San Diego Asian Film Festival!
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the Asian American Media Alliance (AAMA) and the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) hosted a virtual documentary filmmaker workshop presented by Getty Images, to provide background on how to utilize the world’s largest private archive of images for projects.
The one-hour session began with Milton Liu (interim Executive Director, AAMA) welcoming the audience by introducing AAMA. The Asian American Media Alliance is a national network of civil rights and media activism organizations founded in 1999 to empower the Asian American Pacific Islander community by advocating for full inclusion and representation in visual entertainment and media. Since its first chairperson, former U.S. Secretary Norman Mineta, the AAMA provides an annual assessment of the major television broadcast networks’ programming and evaluating AAPI representation in front of, and behind the camera. AAMA is also a member of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, alongside Kollaboration, David Magdael & Associates, Visual Communications and CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment). Since the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, APFE brings artists, creators, and industry insiders together in celebration of our experiences and our stories. We recognize our community’s talents and compelling filmmaking that shifts the landscape, changes hearts and minds, and announces our presence.
Milton then introduced Heather Tanning (Senior Manager, Regional Marketing, Getty Images) who first asked the question, what is Getty Images? While many would be partially correct in saying they are behind the red carpet photos or the news photos seen on CNN, Getty Images is much more. They are a living and breathing archive, dedicated to preserving the past, capturing the present and impacting the future. As a creative partner to filmmakers, Getty helps filmmakers and storytellers to discover, license and share Getty’s powerful visual content from the world’s best photographers and videographers.
After a brief overview, Lyndon Umali (Director, North America Production, Getty Images) then introduced a deeper dive into Getty Images and the Production team. Founded in 1995, Getty Images employs over 1,700 people globally, along with 115 staff photographers and videographers. Getty Images offers a growing library of over 538 million visual assets that delivers unmatched depth, breadth and quality. Getty Images has an extensive and comprehensive archive with over 135 million images dating back to the beginning of photography.
Getty Images also pioneered the content partner model and now serves as the distribution partner for more than 310 such relationships. These partners rely on Getty Images as their primary distribution channel for commercializing their digital content. Impressively, new content is added daily, with over 10 million new assets added each quarter.
Getty Images also has a long history with major film and television studios, streamers and independent production companies thus setting a legal standard in indemnification and coverage, creating a multitude of trusted film and TV partnerships.
Umali also spoke about his team being tasked to serve the broader film and television community and to cater to the needs of filmmakers and projects of all genres, subject matter and budgets. Plus, the staff is well versed in commercial licensing, everything from scripted television shows, shorts to trailers to documentaries.
Tanning then spoke about Getty Images Archive, as custodians of the world’s largest privately owned archive, Getty Images has analog facilities in London, Paris, Los Angeles, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, with access to over 135 million images — from world class museums and media partners to unique individual content holdings.
Getty Images’ media partners include Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, Sony Music, Billboard, CBS, Bloomberg, Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, Kyodo, Toronto Star, NBC News Archives, The Walt Disney Company, BBC, Warner Bros. Discovery, Smithsonian, NHK, Law & Crime Trial Network, and more.
Getty Images also has exclusive partnerships, particularly in sports and entertainment from The Oscars, The Met Gala, Vanity Fair, The Grammy Awards, Major League Baseball, and more.
Tanning reminded the audience of the various ways Getty Images’ content can be used for — including B-roll, establishers, set design, props, playback, title/end sequences, key art, promos, and more. She added that their team are experts in usages. Most importantly, the Getty Images team is here to guide filmmakers through every aspect of the production cycle as it relates to licensed content, from proof of concept to final cut. No project is too small. It is also recommended to bring in Getty Images early to avoid issues during post, including approvals.
Then the audience was guided through an interactive search process with Eric Simon (Senior Product Specialist, Content Overview / Search, Getty Images). Simon presented a search tour of images/stills and videos, editorial and creative, background music and collections or curated sets.
Following the search demonstration, online content versus offline content was covered by Dina Elsayed (Senior Product Specialist, Offline Materials / Search, Getty Images). Elsayed explained that offline content is from a partner that houses their own content versus being on GettyImages.com. NBC News Archives, BBC, ITN, TV New Zealand are examples of offline partners. She also reminded the audience on how to get started, which is to reach out to Getty Images and provide project details and to be as descriptive as possible. Then, a Product Specialist will contact you. To reach the Getty Images team, send an email to na.prod@gettyimages.com.
Finally, the session ended with an audience Q&A, where questions were asked about budget minimum (Getty has none) to the AANHPI content offerings Getty has. Getty also launched a Black content collection with historically Black college and universities (HBCUs) under its corporate social responsibility efforts with plans to launch additional marginalized and underrepresented communities, including Native and Indigenous.
THE ASIAN PACIFIC FILMMAKERS EXPERIENCE proudly partnered with Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival as one of the sponsors and supporters of the Reel Asian X TIFF 2023 Reception, which was held on September 11 at the Toronto International Film Festival.
This year, the event brought together over 300+ filmmakers and festival attendees for the Toronto International Film Festival 2023. Together with Reel Asian and TIFF, we celebrated Asian Pacific Islander filmmakers from all over the world who were in attendance and some who presented their films at the festival. A record number of Asian Pacific filmmakers/ producers/actors/publicist/folks in the industry – all came together at the spacious rooftop patio of the Toronto Reel Asian office in downtown Toronto. This was a very special and great event.
Special thanks goes out to Toronto Reel Asian’s Deanna Wong and Aram Collier for spearheading this annual event and making this one of the highlights at TIFF 2023.
This incredible event is courtesy of Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival with food & drink provided courtesy of supporting partners:
As the awards season descends upon us (admittedly, considerably delayed due to twin major labor strikes by the Writers guild of America and SAG-AFTRA), one would think that the pickings for great cinema might likewise slow to a crawl as we slowly near the end of the calendar year. Judging by the surprisingly stellar crop of works making their World and North American premiere screenings at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, it is reasonable to determine that major new works are instead coming our way real soon. With that, here is a list of works (by directors, producers, screenwriters, and/or a combination thereof) that will premiere starting September 7 through 17 in The City By The Lake.