The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has conferred filmmaker awards beginning in 1995, when short films were recognized. The impact of short film and video on the growing Asian Pacific cinematic community was confirmed when, in 1998, the awards were named the King Hu Award (later the Festival Golden Reel Award) to recognize overall excellence in the short subject format; and the New Directors/New Visions Award in recognition of innovative and original use of cinematic language and vision. The New Directors/New Visions Award was augmented in 2004 to recognize the efforts of former Visual Communications Executive Director Linda Mabalot to nurture and develop emerging Asian Pacific filmmaking talents.

Beginning in 2004, after a five-year break, the Film Festival resumed handing out awards for feature-length film and video works. Recognizing the growing technical accomplishment and vision of our communities’ cinematic artists, the Festival in 2006 instituted Grand Jury and Special Jury Awards in both narrative and non-fiction feature-length film. Complementing these awards are the Festival Audience Awards recognizing the Festival audience’s favorites in both narrative and non-fiction; and Special Jury citations for excellence in Acting.