Every May, thousands of people celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage month by supporting local businesses and artisans of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage.
This year, May also marks the third month since the COVID-19 pandemic changed everyone’s plans. This includes the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) which is now on its 36th year. Normally, LAAPFF is celebrated as a key highlight of the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage month in L.A. It was anticipated to start on April 30, but in keeping with directives from federal and state health agencies, the festival was forced to reschedule to a later date.
Since 1983, Visual Communications (the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts center) has been celebrating LAAPFF to advocate for Asian Pacific Americans in international cinema. The Film Festival has been serving “as a crucial launching ground for Asian Pacific American cinema through the premier screenings of important new works as well as the development and nurturing of emerging talents”
The festival normally includes in-person guest appearances, panels, and awards. This year, Visual Communications is hosting a virtual showcase that features stories highlighting work by those of Asian and Pacific Indigenous heritage. LAAPFF virtual showcase hopes to “highlight artists whose stories are critical at this moment. From celebrating histories and cultures, to mobilizing communities to be socially and politically active [..] by presenting FREE films and panels,”
The virtual showcase opened on May 1 with a sneak preview of Asian Americans, a film series that “casts a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played.” After premiering the show, LAAPFF hosted a special Q&A session with producers Grace Lee, Leo Chiang, and Renee Tajima-Pena. The showcase runs until May 29 and will feature numerous cinematic works and virtual panels targeted for discourse on topics like American socio-politics.
Visual Communications is also streaming films in partnership with HBO. They have launched Visionary Fridays on May 15 with past winners of the 2017 HBO APA Visionaries short film competition. Movies featured include Toenail (dir. Jingyi Shao), Wonderland (dir. Tiffanie Hsu), and Monday (dir. Dinh Thai).
Other artists participating in the virtual showcase include Taiwanese American actor, writer, and filmmaker Anthony Ma and internationally acclaimed Taiwanese American producer and director Roxy Shih. Ma and Shih will be hosting a weekly interactive variety show starting on Saturday, May 9 at 2 PM. The show, “So What Now?” invites special guests to talk about their experiences as an Asian American in the entertainment industry and get an update on how they’re coping with the lockdown.
With the slogan “Visual goes Virtual, from social to political,” it is the wish of Visual Communications to stay connected by delivering a sense of community to online settings. “We acknowledge that COVID-19 has been racialized and has incited hateful acts towards our communities. While we are seeing anti-Asian sentiments that perpetuate perilous narratives, Visual Communications and the Festival will continue to be a space for expression, engagement, and empowerment.”
To find out more about this event, visit their website.