LAAPFF Virtual Showcase Wrap Report - May 2020
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Visual goes Virtual, from social to political.
We appreciate you joining us for the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Virtual Showcase, featuring artists and communities whose stories are critical at this moment. In response to COVID-19, Visual Communications had to make the tough decision to reschedule our 36th annual live film festival, an event that we have been looking forward to with much anticipation. The virus has been racialized and incited hateful acts towards our communities, and while we are seeing anti-Asian sentiments that perpetuate perilous narratives, Visual Communications continues to be a space for education, engagement, and empowerment. In the time of social distancing, Visual Communications pivoted to think about the way we interact and stay connected with one another. Most importantly, we wanted to continue to support our artist community.
On May 1st, 2020, Visual Communications presented the first ever Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Virtual Showcase: a kickoff to celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The LAAPFF Virtual Showcase highlighted artists whose stories are critical at this moment. From celebrating our histories and cultures, to mobilizing our communities to be socially and politically active, we presented 31 days of FREE programming, over 62 programs, 80 films, and 26 live streaming panels to keep our communities CONNECTED. Our programs reached over 83K people and were viewed from over 105 countries around the world, including Tunisia, Philippines, Cambodia, and Kyrgyzstan.
We shared with you our American stories - our histories, our heartbreaks, and our hopes. To keep us inspired, we showed you our heroes from the past and visionaries for the future. Our showcase opened with the PBS series ASIAN AMERICANS, chronicling the contributions and challenges of Asian Americans, the fastest growing ethnic group in America. In our continued pursuit to celebrate native Hawaiians & Pacific Islander stories, we presented KA HUAKA’I - THE JOURNEY TO MERRIE MONARCH, STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS, and MELE MURALS. In the powerful panel discussion with Justyn Ah Chong, Kumu Hula Lono Padilla & Kumu Hula Robert Keano Ka’upu IV, and Pualani “Auntie Pua” Case, they shared their transformative actions and movements in Hawaii.
As we count down to Visual Communications’ 50th anniversary, Monday Nite VC was an opportunity to look back at our earlier works like OMAI FA’ATASI: SAMOA MO SAMOA, VAITAFE: RUNNING WATER, and MANONG, where we were once again reminded of the strength of our people.
Our Visionary Fridays were presented by HBO, streaming winning films from past winners of the HBO APA Visionaries Short Film Competition. Visual Communications is grateful for HBO and their commitment to magnify emerging filmmakers.
We showcased 32 Programmers’ Picks, screened at past editions of LAAPFF, including THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT, which examines the origin, history, and impact of the 1882 law that made it illegal for Chinese workers to come to America and for the Chinese nationals already here ever to become U.S. citizens - a first in a long line of acts targeting Asians for exclusion.
Our deepest gratitude to our friends and supporters who continue to believe in what we collectively make happen. The LAAPFF Virtual Showcase would not have been possible without your support. Our communities, while ever transforming, continue to act in solidarity.
The LAAPFF Virtual Showcase was co-presented with our friends who empower communities through media. We had over 100 Corporate, Community, and Organizational Partners. Thank you for your partnerships. In this time of isolation, we stay connected.
“A giant THANK YOU to everyone who made this happen. All the responses from the panel have been so heartwarming. This really means a lot to us. The pandemic has made things so much more complicated for independent filmmakers, so online platforms like this are so crucial right now. Keep up the amazing game-changing work!”
“This was the best Asian Pacific American Heritage Month I’ve had in my recent memory. I’ve been to the 2017 LAAPFF, but I live in the Midwest so it was really a silver lining amidst the pandemic to feel connected to a larger Asian American community. Thank you so much! ”
2020 LAAPFF Virtual Showcase Highlights
“Thank you for all the awesome work you did for this year’s film festival. I know how much each of you put into every curated event, going virtual presents a lot of challenges. While festivals delayed their dates/postponed indefinitely due to the pandemic, VC quickly pivoted and kept the lights on for all of us at home to find community. A week turned into a month, and new programs were announced on what seemed like a daily basis...all ramping up to a Black-led liberation movement. My goodness. Thank you for your commitment to uplifting storytellers, past and present, to expand narratives around AAPI experiences.”
