A Festival in Flux: VC and its Film Festival 1999 - 2003

By Abraham Ferrer

The years 1998 through 2003 were transformative and game-changing years for Visual Communications. Having dissolved its partnership to run the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival with the UCLA Film & Television Archive the year before, VC realized a decade-long dream to settle into a permanent home in the former Old Union Church on the north end of Little Tokyo’s historic district in March 1998. A new home, a new profile for one of VC’s signature programs, and the promise of new program initiatives on the way — the future looked bright for the nation’s premier Asian Pacific American media arts organization.

However, one key component of Visual Communications did not survive the transition to a permanent site — VC’s on-site black & white photographic darkroom, a vital workroom that has been a prime feature of VC offices of the past. Anticipating a “filmless” photography future for VC, then-Executive Director Linda Mabalot made the decision to retire the darkroom, and demurred from building such a space in the new space, dubbed the Union Center for the Arts. Thus, a gradual shift began over the course of five crucial years from VC’s arrival in its new space. As the organization’s cultivation of both legacy and emerging artists and audiences was punctuated by the growth of the Film Festival, VC’s still photography policy practically ceased starting in 1998, as film was sent out for color processing and the attendant quality control practiced by VC staffers Robert Nakamura, Alan Ohashi, Keith Lee, and others gave way to an immediacy that pre-dated the arrival of digital photography to VC in 2002.

The pictures selected for this online exhibition by Olivia YiSu Stark, Yoon Seok (Raymond) Son, and Kyla Worrell — 2020 Winter Quarter Program Associates from UCLA’s Asian American Studies 185 Capstone class — owe much to the growing sense of fandom that has become a staple of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. As well, the back-stories attached to those who were captured by a new generation of VC staffers including Jeff Liu, John Lee, VC associates such as Shane Sato, and others speak to a time when “digital” was not yet in VC’s creative toolbox. A fundamentally altered still photography practice at VC paralleled the organization’s own shift from a creation-based organization to a talent incubator and enabler. Nonetheless, it really was, as is still the case, all about the pictures, and how VC’s photographers saw their subject matter and captured them for posterity.

STATEMENT NIGHT | Thursday, May 13, 1999 | Directors Guild of America

The spotlighting fell squarely on Asian Pacific American creative talents during the 1999 Film Festival as exemplified by LIFE TASTE GOOD, starring a mostly Asian American cast and written and directed by noted playwright Philip Kan Gotanda. The film’s Opening Night spotlight allowed audiences to celebrate great talents among the Asian Pacific American acting and filmmaking communities (from left): Visual Communications Executive Director Linda Mabalot, Diane Takei, Dan Kuramoto, Dale Minami, Julia Nickson, director/screenwriter Philip Kan Gotanda, Tim Lounibos, Kelvin Han Yee, and Maysie Hoy. — Yoon Seok (Raymond) Son

Brothers-in-Arms, THE DEBUT | Thursday, May 18, 2000 | Directors Guild of America

Actors Dante Basco (right) with his brother Derek Basco at the World Premiere of Gene Cajayon’s THE DEBUT, which starred Dante Basco and chronicled a Filipino American teenage boy’s dreams of being an artist, much to his father’s opposition. The conflict boils over on a night when his sister is celebrating her coming out party. Dante already had extensive acting experience (HOOK), but none of his prior roles presented a meaningful depiction of the Filipino American experience to the degree THE DEBUT was able to provide. The film set a precedent for how Asian Pacific Americans could be seen in leading roles. — Olivia YiSu Stark

THE FUTURE IS NOW | Thursday, May 18, 2000 | Directors Guild of America

A scene from Festival Week 2000 Opening Night provides what could be described as a who’s who of past, present, and future Asian Pacific American cinema talents. Here one can see a growing network of film directors and producers developing at VC’s film festivals. Among the many “future-forward” talents in this picture are: Frank Abe, Sean Chou, Donna Tsufura, Mark Arbitrario, Joanna Lee, Jessica Sanders, Simon Chung, Michael Sakamoto, Grace Lee, and Jeffrey Lei. — Kyla Worrell

SHIT: THE MOVIE | Sunday, May 21, 2000 | Directors Guild of America

Rhode Island School of Design alumni Julie Gaw tables for her mockumentary short SHIT: THE MOVIE. Her creative marketing materials offered one example of the novel ways in which Asian Pacific American filmmakers were beginning to promote their work. — Kyla Worrell

GREEN DRAGON Q&A | Timothy Linh Bui | Thursday, May 17, 2001 | Directors Guild of America

The rise of Vietnamese American Cinema captured people’s attention at the Opening Night L.A. Premiere of director Timothy Linh Bui’s GREEN DRAGON. Timothy and his crew (shown here onstage at the Directors Guild of America) did their part to expand the public’s conscience of a larger Vietnamese American filmmaking “movement” during this post-screening Q&A session. — Yoon Seok (Raymond) Son

GREEN DRAGON | Thursday, May 17, 2001 | Directors Guild of America

Actress Kieu Chinh (left) greets director Timothy Linh Bui, Kenneth Nguyen, and producer Forest Whitaker at the Los Angeles premiere of Bui’s debut feature, GREEN DRAGON. A touching story of a Vietnamese refugee family in late 1970s Camp Pendleton, CA, director Bui’s film announced the emergence of the “Viet Kieu” generation of filmmakers. Whitaker executive-produced Bui’s film through his company Spirit Dance Entertainment; his support of this project symbolizes the importance in nurturing newer generations of talent both in front of and behind the camera. — Olivia YiSu Stark

SKA WITH YOUR AMERICAN CHAI | Friday, May 18, 2001 | Directors Guild of America

Filmmaking is as much about those who watch motion pictures as it is about those behind the camera. When Anurag Mehta premiered his film AMERICAN CHAI with his brother, music composer Aalok, they naturally invited their many friends to screen the film at the Directors Guild of America. Among them were Tom Dumont, Tony Kanal and Gwen Stefani — Orange County natives better known as three-fourths of the popular ska punk band No Doubt. — Kyla Worrell

BETTER LUCK TOMORROW | Thursday, May 16, 2002 | Directors Guild of America

An emerging new generation of Asian Pacific American actors and artists were on the rise as seen in this shot from Festival Week 2002 Opening Night. Previously a distinctly campus-based series of events, the Film Festival expanded as more sponsorships and corporate partners came on board. Emerging directors like Justin Lin, whose film BETTER LUCK TOMORROW opened the 2002 Film Festival, afforded a broader world view on Asian Pacific American (from left): VC Executive Director Linda Mabalot, Stanley Burrell (a.k.a. MC Hammer), director Justin Lin, Parry Shen, Sung Kang, Karin Anna Cheung, Roger Fan, producer Julie Asato, Julie Asato, and producer Joan Huang. — Yoon Seok (Raymond) Son

Sharon Dang and Lee Ann Kim, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW | Thursday, May 16, 2002 | Directors Guild of America

Lee Ann Kim (left) and Sharon Dang strike a pose at the L.A. Premiere of Justin Lin’s BETTER LUCK TOMORROW. Dang masterminded the field promotional campaign for the film; while Kim, a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, founded the San Diego Asian Film Festival in 2000. The “BLT” caps they are wearing reflected director Lin’s affinity for titling his films with acronyms for marketing purposes. Dang took Lin’s ideas and realized them into posters, pins, and other assorted merchandise. At that time, independent filmmakers assumed creative agency in terms of how they built recognition for their work. During the Y2K years, filmmakers not only challenged themselves with being better artists, but being astute business people and marketers as well. — Olivia YiSu Stark

WALL OF PARTNERS | Thursday, May 1, 2003 | Directors Guild of America

As seen here, VC’s corporate partnerships and sponsorships continued to play a major role in supporting the organization’s mission. With help from increased corporate support, the Film Festival started to grow steadily towards sustainability, achieving its aim of expanding the Asian Pacific American cinematic and artist community. — Yoon Seok (Raymond) Son

PERENNIAL RUNNER-UP | Thursday, May 1, 2003 | Directors Guild of America

Kristina Wong is known these days for her performance art. Shown here with filmmaker V.V. Dachin Hsu and daughter Sasha Hsuczyk, Wong assumes one of her first and most iconic personas: Fannie Wong, former Miss Chinatown 2nd Runner Up, at VC’s Film Festival Opening Night in 2003. Sporting a cigar and tiara, Wong made for a stark contrast against the usual Miss Chinatown Los Angeles pageantry (who were also in attendance). — Kyla Worrell

HOWZIT! | Thursday, May 8, 2003 | Aratani/Japan America Theatre

At Festival Closing Night, the audience participated in a snapshot that would be presented to VC’s Executive Director, Linda Mabalot, who was hospitalized with lung cancer and would pass away shortly after this photo was made. Linda led VC from 1985 until 2003, and was responsible for transforming the organization from a filmmakers cooperative to a full-service Asian Pacific American media arts center. Mabalot saw the importance of not letting the organization grow old and actively encouraged the development of a newer generation of APA cinema artists to support and nurture. She called them the “youngbloods” and did everything she could to ensure that this generation would become the new leaders of the Asian Pacific American media arts movement. — Olivia YiSu Stark