ABOUT VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
Visual Communications (VC) is the first non-profit organization in the US dedicated to the honest and accurate portrayals of the Asian Pacific American peoples, communities, and heritage through the media arts. VC was created with the understanding that media and the arts are important vehicles to organize and empower communities, build connections between peoples and generations through the development of AAPI film, video, and media. The organization has created award-winning productions, nurtured and given voice to our youth and seniors, promoted new artistic talent, presented new cinema, and preserved our visual history.
Mission
Visual Communications (VC) produces, presents, and preserves Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) stories by cultivating filmmakers and media artists whose work connects communities and inspires cultural change.
Vision
We envision a world where Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) stories are widely created and celebrated, and where their global influence shapes culture, inspires collaboration, and creates lasting impact.
Elevate Artistic Excellence & Innovation: Position VC as the premiere creative launchpad and a leading artistic authority by championing bold talent, setting a high bar for curatorial excellence, and producing culturally defining work that shapes and advances AANHPI storytelling.
Strengthen Organizational Leadership & Sustainability: Develop VC into a high-performing organization by aligning leadership, processes, and resources around clear priorities—ensuring consistent execution, thoughtful innovation, and long-term sustainability.
Expand Year-Round Visibility & Public Presence: Amplify VC’s voice, values, and history within AANHPI networks and beyond through cohesive storytelling, strategic communications, and consistent public engagement—growing awareness, deepening cultural relevance, and expanding its impact across communities and platforms nationally and globally.
Deepen Community Connection & Belonging: Establish VC as a sustained creative ecosystem by building an interconnected, year-round community that supports artists from development through production, engage stakeholders, and continuously generates, showcases, and amplifies culturally resonant AANHPI work
Our Story
Founded in 1970, VC has been a pioneer in the development of Asian Pacific American film, video, and media. VC was founded by Duane Kubo, Robert Nakamura, Alan Ohashi, and Eddie Wong. Along with a core group of artists, filmmakers, photographers, and educators, VC’s founders began searching for visual resources to build a greater consciousness of Asian Pacific history in America. Fueled by the burgeoning Civil Rights and Anti-War movements, they set out creating learning kits, photographing community events, audiotaping stories, and collecting historical images of Asian American lives.
VC premiered the first ever full length Asian American film in 1980: HITO HATA: RAISE THE BANNER. This landmark film was a building of a community-in-progress, involving artists, professional media personnel, scholars, community organizations, and countless number of individuals and community businesses in the making of the film. Beginning in the 1980s, VC transitioned from a film production collective to a full-service media arts center. While VC still produced films in this period, the organization also provided support services for Asian American artists and filmmakers, workshops and trainings for the community, and more presentation opportunities for independent media in Los Angeles.
Throughout our history, VC programs have evolved to meet the changing needs of a diverse Asian Pacific communities of over 25 different languages, cultures, and nationalities. The organization has created award winning productions, nurtured and given voice to our youth, promoted new artistic talent, presented new cinema, and preserved our visual history. Today, VC continues to be a conduit for the Asian Pacific global communities to the American public through its numerous arts programs.
VC Through the Years
MEET THE VC STAFF
FRANCIS CULLADO, Executive Director
Francis (he/him) began his service at the organization as a Getty Multicultural Undergraduate Intern in 2002 and has worked with VC since 2010 in various capacities such as the Volunteer Coordinator, Festival Operations Manager, Development Director, and Operations Director. Francis is well experienced in leading teams through several successful projects, programs, and productions. Francis will help oversee the AWC Fellowships including budgets and personnel.
ANGELA PARK, Artist Engagement & Development
Angela Park (she/her) serves as VC’s Managing Director and is an alumna and previous mentor of the Armed With a Camera Fellowship. She contributes to the planning and execution of the Fellowship, supports emerging filmmakers, and takes on special production projects. Angela also manages finances and budgets for the organization, ensuring the sustainability of our programs. In addition to her work with VC, Angela is an independent producer and filmmaker. Her producing projects have screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival among others.
EMILY HOANG, Development & Communications
Emily Hoang (she/her) leads Development and Communications at Visual Communications and Strategic Partnerships for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. As a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in Entertainment and Hospitality Management, Emily is passionate about connecting diverse audiences through film and art.
She started her nonprofit journey at Foster Love as an Impact Intern, where she discovered her passion for community service and the power of meaningful, mission-driven work. Since then, she has built a career from arts and advocacy, championing stories that uplift underrepresented voices and create opportunities for communities to see themselves reflected on screen.
ALYSSA AGUDELO, Development & Communications
Alyssa Agudelo (she/her) is a Development & Communications Associate at VC. She is a third-generation Filipino-American, born and raised in San Francisco (Daly City). A recent graduate of California State University, Long Beach, she graduated with a BA in Comparative World Literature and Sociology. At CSULB, she served as the Senior Editor of a multimedia journal called Genre; she continues to support undergraduate operations as part of Genre’s Advisory Committee. Over the summer, she served as VC’s Artistic Programs Intern under the LA County Department of Arts and Culture Internship Program. Now, under Development & Communications, Alyssa supports copywriting and copyediting for VC’s written content. In the long-term, she hopes to continue sustaining community-oriented, accessible arts and media. During her free time, she enjoys going to coffee shops, vending at flea markets, and frequenting her local Regal.
JASON TIANGCO, VC Archives
Jason Tiangco (he/him) is a Filipino-American creative from Harbor City, CA, and the Archives Manager at Visual Communications. As caretaker of the VC Archives, he works towards the preservation and access of Asian Pacific American materials. Jason aspires to create safe spaces for underrepresented communities including individuals with disabilities, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, and those dealing with mental illness. A 2021 graduate of CSU Long Beach with a BA in Film and Electronic Arts, Jason brings a deep-rooted passion for cinema and dreams of changing the world through the arts. He works to inspire generations of all ages to channel their personal stories and internal struggles into healthy, artistic outlets. He finds renewal in traveling the world, going to shows, and getting lost in new spaces with a camera.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CLAYTON YEUNG
Chair
Paramount
GERLIE COLLADO
Vice Chair
DOUGLAS AIHARA
Treasurer
Aihara & Associates Insurance Services
MARY dela CRUZ
Secretary
CHUONG BUI
Counsel for Creators
CHRISTOPHER DEHAU LEE
Move Eye Media
EMMA FUKUNAGA, Programs & Development
Emma Fukunaga is the Programs and Development Associate with Visual Communications. Throughout her time with VC she has been a part of the Archives, Development, and Programs teams, as well as serving as a Programmer and Executive Producer for LAAPFF 2025 and 2026. She is an alumna of Scripps College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Asian American Studies.
Growing up, Emma volunteered with many nonprofits and community organizations with her family, who showed her the importance of community care and value-centered work. These lessons stay close as she grows her career in arts & culture education and programming.
KIRBY PEÑAFIEL, Digital Histories
Kirby Peñafiel is a 15-year Visual Communications advocate, a 10+ year LAAPFF programmer (having seen over 2,000 festival submitted films), and second year as the Digital Histories instructor guiding a record-breaking cohort of 16+ AANHPI seniors through documentary shorts filmmaking.
With over 11 years of film festival dedication wearing many hats, Kirby is also a media archivist maintaining a library of personal, professional, and works-in-progress. He is a Tuesday Night Project staff member, helping preserve its 25+ year history by archiving live shows and its longtime catalogue, likewise for the AKB Media Team, shooting and archiving their acclaimed three-show run at The Ford.
GILLIAN GEE, VC Archives
Gillian Gee (she/her) is a proud Chinese and Filipino archivist serving as one of the caretakers of the VC Archives. She earned degrees in English & Gender and Women’s Studies from UC Berkeley, and became involved in community work through the Asian Pacific American Student Development office. At Berkeley, she was inspired by student movements in the 1960s and 1970s, and explored the intersections between community, history, and storytelling. Organizing with her community became the catalyst for Gillian to earn her MLIS from UCLA, where she focused her studies on community archives and their impact on intergenerational healing and community connections. Through her work in the VC Archives, she honors the people that came before her with the preservation of their experiences. When she’s not exploring libraries and archives, Gillian can be found baking sweet treats or writing silly stories with her friends.
ABRAHAM FERRER, VC Archives
CHEEYEON PARK, VC Archives, UCLA MLIS
KAYLEEN KIM, VC Archives, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
LAILANIE GADIA, Fiscal Sponsorships
LAUREN KIM, VC Archives, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
WALT LOUIE
Flash Cuts
DAVID KWAN
Superlative
JODI LONG
Actress & Filmmaker
PHIL YU
Angry Asian Man
IOSEFA AINA
Pomona College
FRANCIS CULLADO
Executive Director
Visual Communications