A plethora of guests belly up to the bar at Peking Tavern as the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience celebrates its activities during the recently-concluded 40th edition of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (VC Film Fest) in Los Angeles Little Tokyo. (Photo: Steven Lam)
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
APFE “Roll Call” Group Photo at the 6th Edition of the APFE @ SXSW “Meet the Filmmakers” Reception at Palm Door on Sixth in Austin, Texas, alongside the Taiwan Beats Day Music Showcase in the heart of SXSW activities. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
By Laarni Rosca Dacanay
On March 12, 2024, the 2024 Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) @ SXSW celebrated six years at the South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) by recognizing AANHPI filmmakers, storytellers, creatives and community leaders at a fun and engaging networking reception. This year, the event was also an official SXSW listing!
Co-hosted with local lead partner, the Austin Asian American Film Festival, in conjunction with the Taiwan Beats Showcase Day Party, the festive event was held at Palm Door on Sixth, where over 200 creatives, industry executives, SXSW filmmakers, influencers, local Austin and Texas-area AANHPI filmmakers, community leaders, and AANHPI allies and supporters, gathered for informal networking and connecting.
Noted attendees included six-time SXSW musical artist and documentary film subject “Big Phony” (Bobby Choy); local filmmaker, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences member and AMPAS AANHPI Affinity Group Leader PJ Raval; actor Olivia Liang (Kung Fu); writer/producer Cherish Chen (RocketJump Film School), and actor Jordan Rodrigues (We’re All Gonna Die). Attendees were treated to drinks and Asian snacks courtesy of APFE from Asahi Imports – Austin’s only exclusively Japanese market. Guests also heard from SXSW filmmakers Nicole Chi (Los Mosquitos), Chi Thai(Lullaby), Mackie Mallison (Live From The Clouds) – who were invited on stage to share more about their projects. Thank you shout outs were given to SXSW’s James Minor (VP of Music Festival) and Stacie Cline (Music Festival Venues Manager). Kudos was also given to 2024 APFE partners, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), Warner Bros. Access and NBCUniversal LAUNCH, for whose support makes events like this possible.
Austin Asian American Film Festival staffers Casie Luong (left) and Jacky Zhu welcome guests to the APFE@SXSW 2024 event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
Guests arrive at the APFE@SXSW networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.View of guests from stage at APFE@SXSW networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.Milton Liu (Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance, APFE Leader & WGA Member, left) with guests Olivia Liang (Filmmaker & Actor, KUNG FU), Jordan Rodrigues (Actor, LADY BIRD, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE), Albert Wang (Filmmaker), Cherish Chen (Writer & Producer, ROCKETJUMP FILM SCHOOL) and Ashim Ahuja (Producer, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE) at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.Milton Liu (Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance, APFE Leader & WGA Member, 2nd from left) and Laarni Rosca Dacanay (Chair, PBS SoCal Community Advisory Board, APFE Leader & Television Academy Member, far right) with noted guests, Nicki Sun (Filmmaker & Actor, 3rd from left), Michelle Sun (Actor, middle), Patricia Ratulangi (VP, Global Communications – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Nielsen, 5th from left) and Dino-Ray Ramos (Journalist, Founder/Editor-in-Chief Diaspora and GLAAD Consultant, 2nd from right), at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.Filmmaker Mackie Mallison (center) on stage at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event, with Hanna Huang (Executive Director, Austin Asian American Film Festival, far left), filmmaker Chi Thai (second from right) and David Magdael (Publicist, Producer, Social Justice Leader & Founder, Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, far right) looking on. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.Hanna Huang (Executive Director, Austin Asian American Film Festival, left), David Magdael (Publicist, Producer, Social Justice Leader & Founder, Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience, center) and Milton Liu (Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance, APFE Leader & WGA Member), welcoming guests and thanking local lead partner AAAFF at the APFE@SXSW 2024 networking event. Photo Credit: Roger Ho @rohofoto.
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.
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, 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)
As graduation season and Fathers’ Day weekend neared, the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE) celebrated AANHPI filmmakers, storytellers, creatives and community leaders at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City (#APANYC). This year marked the third time in partnering with local AANHPI film partner, Asian CineVision (ACV) , to uplift and highlight new and veteran community voices at one the country’s most renowned film festivals.
Held on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at the Asian American-owned Sour Mouse Social Club on the Lower East Side, the full house first welcomed WGAE writer Madhuri Shekar (Evil Eye, The Nevers and the upcoming Sister Act 3) to discuss the ramifications of the ongoing WGA Strike and how it specifically affects our AANHPI communities and projects.
WGAE member Madhuri Shekar greets the gathered crowd. (Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Afterwards, a selection of cinematic artists of Asian American and Pacific islander descent featured throughout Tribeca 2023 joined moderator Kat Moon of TV Guide for an intriguing conversation spotlighting their works. Joining Kat were:
H.P. Mendoza – Director, THE SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT Annelise Hickey – Director, HAFEKASI Taylor Shung – Producer, SOMEWHERE QUIET and THE GRADUATES Jennifer Kim – Actor, SOMEWHERE QUIET Sean Devlin – Director, ASOG Jaya – Screenwriter, ASOG Adrian Tomine – Screenwriter, SHORTCOMINGS
Kat Moon of TV Guide joined with (from left) Annelise Hickey, Jaya, Sean Devlin, Adrian Tomine, H.P. Mendoza, Taylor Shung, and Jennifer Kim to talk film and Tribeca ’23. (Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Attendees were treated to complimentary drinks and delicious appetizers from local NYC Chinatown eateries. Notable guests in attendance included writer/director Andrew Ahn and producer Sanjay M. Sharma. In addition to celebrating three years at Tribeca, the day marked the birthdays of guest panelists Annelise Hickey and Jennifer Kim, who were serenaded on stage by the audience and fellow panelists.
APFE organizers David Magdael (Co-Founder, APFE), Milton Liu (Executive Director, Asian American Media Alliance & WGA West member), Michelle Sugihara (Executive Director, CAPE), Minji Chang (Board Member, Kollaboration), and Marvin Yueh (HappyEcstatic Media) welcomed attendees and thanked them for supporting AANHPI filmmakers and storytellers at Tribeca. Kayla Wong, Programs / Festival Director and Eunice Chen, Associate Director / Development, for Asian CineVision, producers of the Asian American International Film Festival, also welcomed guests to the organization’s hometown. For folks experiencing FOMO, event photographer Slaven Vlasic of Getty Images made a wonderful set of images in his official capacity as Event Photographer that can be found here. Additionally, a set of event photos by Andrew Ge can be found here.
Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience organizers, along with event panelists and organizers of event partner Asian CineVision, can finally exhale! (Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Next up, catch the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience at Comic-Con, Hawai’i International Film Festival (HIFF), and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with the Reel Asian Film Festival. Plus, planning is underway for the 20th anniversary of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience at the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals in Park City, Utah. Save the Date for Sunday, January 21, 2024 and we will see you in the snowy mountains, if not sooner!
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 to: apaparkcity2020.splashthat.com
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
Evelyn (Aina Dumlao) is about to make a shocking discovery that will affect two broken families in Xia Magnus’ SANZARU, premiering Jan. 26 in Narrative Competition at the Slamdance Film Festival. (Photo: courtesy Undercurrent Media)
Although a smaller contingent than the filmmakers we are honoring, we are pleased to recognize the actors whose work grace select films as part of the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals. Hit the respective links to get details on the films they appear in, and be sure to watch their films during Park City 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)
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:
We’ve finally done and did it…we, the Organizing Team of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience in Park City have pored over fifteen years of hosting our annual Park City Receptions for Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Asian International cinema artists and assembled a new online destination to celebrate our artists as we move forward to the week starting January 23, when the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals take over Park City, Utah. Since 2001, when an ad hoc team of APA media arts activists including former Visual Communications Executive Director Linda Mabalot and publicists David Magdael and Winston Emano contributed to a memorable launch for director Rod Pulido’s THE FLIP SIDE (the very first feature-length film directed by a Filipino American to screen at Sundance), we recognized the need to foreground and recognize APA cinematic talents in Park City who have brought their stories to this annual gathering of independent cinema. As it turns out, the very first Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience gathering at China Panda Restaurant proved to be a preview of things to come.
As #APAParkCity co-founder Winston Emano once proclaimed, “The first year, it was a party. The second year, it was a happening. Now, this is an annual event. You know what we call that? We call that a tradition.” We invite one and all who champion and support the creative vision and storytelling talents of our APA and Asian international artistic community to JOIN US in January as #APAParkCity presents its Sixteenth Edition. Follow this blog for breaking news and other developments, and follow us throughout the year — the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience “tradition” has begun to extend far beyond the snowy hamlet of Park City, all the better to recognize and celebrate our amazing cinematic community. Stay tuned! More great stuff to come in the coming weeks…
asianpacificfilmexperience.org 