The Visual Communications (VC) Film Festival / Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) is the largest film festival in Southern California dedicated to showcasing films by and about Asians & Pacific Islanders around the world. The annual Film Festival features a robust lineup of in-person programming, along with virtual programming for our audiences at home in Southern California and beyond, and honors our cultural and movement workers who create worlds of truth and imagination.

In our continued work to create spaces for expression, engagement, and empowerment, despite times of social, cultural, and political divisiveness, we celebrate diverse storytellers who believe in the power of our stories to initiate change. When media is weaponized to destroy, these filmmakers build and connect communities. From presenting the stories of our ancestors and beloved elders, to stories unbounded by youthful energies, we bridge present and emerging generations of storytellers to living histories, so they understand that they are part of a movement. A movement rooted in rebellion towards liberation.

Established in 1983 by Visual Communications, the first non-profit organization in the US dedicated to the honest and accurate portrayals of the Asian American and Pacific American peoples, communities, and heritage through the media arts, the Festival has since presented over 6,000 films, videos, and digital mediaworks by Asian & Pacific Islander artists, and features seminars, panels, in-person guest appearances, and filmmaker awards.

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival is a proud Academy Award®-qualifying film festival for Short Film Awards. Recipient(s) of the Film Festival’s Golden Reel Award for Narrative/Animated and Documentary Short Films will be eligible to submit in the Animated Short Film/Live-Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards®.

SAVE THE DATE

Visual Communications is proud to present the 42nd edition of the VC Film Fest / Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival from April 30 to May 7, 2026*.

EARLY DEADLINE: October 1, 2025 @ 11:59pm PST
REGULAR DEADLINE: November 1, 2025 @ 11:59pm PST
FINAL DEADLINE: December 1, 2025 @ 11:59pm PST
*date subject to change

Share your film to laapff 2026

If you are an artist/filmmaker and our renewal intentions and values resonate with you, we invite you to share your work with us. If you are a funder and partner, we invite you to support our practice and not just the product. We look forward to building a community with you.

FESTIVAL RENEWAL

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes! The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival uplifts films and mediaworks that are principally made by and/or about Asian Pacific Islander individuals and communities around the world. However, we believe in connecting communities through shared experiences, so we invite all filmmakers to share their films if you believe it would resonate with Asian Pacific Islander communities.
Yes! If your work celebrates the diverse stories of our Asians and/or Pacific Islanders, your work is eligible.
Films shared for consideration must have been completed on or after November 1, 2024,
Yes! Though we prefer to evaluate entries that are as complete as possible, our programmers will take into account the unfinished state of a submission as it makes its decision. Be sure to indicate on your preview screener the status of the film (i.e., rough cut, fine cut, picture lock, etc.) and specify what elements are still incomplete. That said, it is in your best interest to submit a version that is as close to completion as possible.
The Festival does not provide waivers. The contribution of entry fees support the festival staff and programmers who put labor and effort to view films and build the festival. We encourage all artists to share films by the early deadline.

HISTORY

The Festival has grown exponentially since, reflected not only by increases in both number of total works and artists, but also by substantial increases in attendance from a weekend-long series into a major annual showcase presenting the best of APA and Asian international media. Learn more about how Visual Communications established the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and who has been showcased through the years. See every edition of the Film Festival, from its humble beginnings in 1983 through the present.

AWARD WINNERS

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival has celebrated filmmaking achievement through presentation of juried and balloted awards. See all films and filmmakers who have been recognized through the years.