Libby Chun

Libby Haein (해인) Chun is a Korean American artist born and raised in Texas and South Korea with a BFA from Dodge College. As an AA who has grown up in only either or spaces, the value of gray areas, interstitiality, and investigating balancing pervades all her practices. Her work consists of narrative film, multimedia documentation, and assemblages of language that are searching for gratitude, knowledge, third-culture, catharsis, and the future. Her past positions include director’s assistant and organizational roles for Women In Film and Outfest. Currently, she is with Visual Communications Media as Programs Coordinator and Artist in Residence. Her first film, CROSSROADS, has screened at several festivals across the country. She also likes to collect dictionaries.

**As a part of this Fellowship, Libby will be our AWC Fellow in Residence.  This reflects our intention to develop artists within our Visual Communications staff, and nurture creative energies as an element of our work culture and practice.

Meloddy Gao

Meloddy Gao (she/her) is a Chinese American filmmaker, multimedia artist, and community organizer. Originally from Indiana, her work is shaped by her experiences growing up as the child of immigrants in the midwest suburbs. Her fascination for discovering humanity and humor in absurdity, along with her colorful visual style, form the basis of her storytelling. She serves as the Communications Coordinator for the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) and recently graduated with her MFA in Social Documentation at UC Santa Cruz. Meloddy's directorial debut SWIMMING LESSONS, a documentary about her family’s lost goodbyes, is currently in the festival circuit.

Coffee Kang

Coffee Kang is a mixed-media artist based in Los Angeles, primarily working with photo, video, installation, and performance. Coming from a photographer’s background, Kang embodies ephemera in her works and explores the theme of temporality and narratives of impermanence while attempting to see and seek between liminal spaces in the queer and diaspora experience. Beyond her studio practice, Kang actively cultivates space for communal learning and shared journeys, from dinner tables to classroom settings, and now cinema with her latest short film project, Taking a Swim in the Desert.

Matthew Kim

Matthew Kim is a Korean American artist based in Los Angeles, California. Working in film, photography, and printmaking, his works engage with working class Asian American perspectives. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with degrees in Film Production and art. His undergraduate thesis film Conventional Green, explored Asian American perceptions of masculinity – inspired by the intersection of pride and family in his personal life. He recently produced and wrapped production on an independent feature film, and is currently working at Iconoclast.

Alexandra “Lexie” Orr

Alexandra “Lexie” Orr is a queer, mixed Asian American filmmaker who explores her identity and cultural upbringing through her work. She often felt caught between worlds, struggling with questions of belonging. Through art and storytelling, she has begun to discover her true self and is finding her own voice. Creating visual and auditory representations of who she is has been revolutionary, allowing her to assert her identity without external judgment. It's a way to connect with her Filipino, Japanese, and American heritage on her own terms and to look forward to the future confident in who she is.

Benjamin Pola

Benjamin Pola is a proud first-generation Samoan American writer from Long Beach, CA. He is passionate about uplifting and amplifying Pasifika voices through his storytelling which centers on coming-of-age narratives that explore culture, belonging and self-discovery. As an educator and member of the Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK), he connects and collaborates with Pasifika artists across academia and the entertainment industry. Currently, Benjamin serves as the Social Media Manager and Editor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His very first original pilot, KINSHIP, was celebrated as a quarterfinalist in the 2022 Final Draft Big Break Contest, marking an exciting start to his creative writing journey.

Asavari Kumar

Asavari is an Indian filmmaker & creative director based in Los Angeles. She is the co-founder of Supernova Design, a creative studio operating at the intersection of art, technology, and entertainment. Asavari’s award-winning projects have been showcased at numerous festivals and exhibition spaces. Drawn to cross-cultural narratives, Asavari explores themes of identity and belonging through her work. Asavari divides her time between her professional practice at Supernova and creating ceramic pieces. She also mentors emerging artists for the AWC fellowship for Visual Communications, and teaches at the animation program at California State University, Long Beach.

Angela Park

Angela Park is a Korean American producer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Park is an alumna and mentor of the Armed with the Camera Fellowship, through Visual Communications. She co-produced LIQUOR STORE DREAMS, a documentary feature, which premiered at Tribeca and screened at BFI London Film Festival, Palm Springs International, and Busan International Film Festival. The film broadcasted on the PBS program, POV. Her latest producing project, PAPER MARRIAGE is a feature narrative film for Duplass Brothers Productions. PAPER MARRIAGE premiered at VC Film Fest in where it won the Community Award and has sold out screenings in festivals across the U.S.