They may not be famous. They may not even be that well-known to most. But the people who make an indelible impact in our communities and on our lives are the ones whose words and deeds are largely unsung. Take a look at these Armed With a Camera and Digital Histories films about people whose lives are worth savoring.
Read MoreThis week we explore the legacy of Linda Mabalot, the beloved Executive Director of VC from the mid-'80s until her passing in 2003. She guided VC through a most difficult and challenging time when the organization was focused on survival and still committed to serving and continuing Asian Pacific American media projects.
Read MoreAs Visual Communications celebrates 50 years, we look back at VC Classic films centered around our Native Hawaian & Pacific Islander communities. On Monday, May 11, 2020 at 5 pm PT, join Visual Communications and friends for a Monday Nite VC event in an engaging conversation about how they utilize media to build, connect, and empower communities.
Read MoreCalifornia Arts Council announced a grant award to Visual Communications as part of its Local Impact program, which will allow VC to organize another year of the annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
Read MoreCLAIMING A VOICE: THE VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS STORY is a documentary chronicling the first twenty years of Visual Communications. Join us on Monday, May 4, 2020 at 5 pm PDT for a Monday Nite VC event in an engaging conversation about the survival and collective process of the first arts group dedicated to productions by and about Asian Pacific Americans.
Read MoreThe selection of short films in “Our Voices” was curated for Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a spring pop-up Arts+Culture Fest that celebrates the diverse and powerful artistic voices in Los Angeles County. These films premiered on Grand Park’s digital platforms from Saturday, April 25 - Sunday, April 26, 2020; but don’t worry, you can watch them all again here!
Read MoreWe are grateful to the Mike Kelley Foundation for an Artist Project Grant to work on a project that will explore the changing landscape of Little Tokyo's First Street North, started by our 2018 +LAB Artist-in-Residence Tina Takemoto. We look forward to celebrating how the diverse cultures and histories of Los Angeles converge in Little Tokyo.
Read MoreWe are proud to announce our Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival Virtual Showcase, slated for Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May. The Virtual Showcase aims to highlight 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 are looking forward to presenting FREE films and panels to keep us connected.
Read More“Advocacy cinema” has always been a hallmark of Visual Communications’ role within the Asian American Movement, and this selection of short works live up to that lofty legacy. Featuring films from both the Armed With a Camera and Digital Histories programs, a “call to action” is indeed apropos for the times we currently live in.
Read MoreGrand Park’s popular spring arts experience, Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices: A Pop-up Arts+Culture Fest, goes virtual as Grand Park celebrates the richness and resilience of Los Angeles’ arts community with a free performing and visual arts exhibition, featuring some films produced by VC’s Digital Histories and Armed With a Camera filmmakers.
Read MoreThanks to Ava DuVernay and her foundation ARRAY Alliance, Visual Communications is honored to be a recipient of an ARRAY GRANT. We are grateful for the support to continue our work.
Read MoreWith the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), we understand that it has been an extremely challenging time for our creative community. We recognize that many people are feeling anxious about the immediate future and the loss of income. We are compiling a list of as many emergency funding sources and additional resources for artists as we can find, and we will continue to add to this listing as more resources become known and available.
Read MoreThe full range of “Americanness” is emphatically expressed through this selection of works from Visual Communications’ vanguard Armed With a Camera (AWC) Fellowship for Emerging Media Artists, a program which develops the next generation of Asian American and Pacific Islander artists to capture their world and stories. No proof of citizenship needed here, and none asked.
Read MoreThis past summer, our VC Archives Program Associate Rino Kodama worked on a photo-journalistic project documenting portions of the 21st season of Tuesday Night Cafe, the longest running spoken word/open mic venue in all of Southern California since 1999.
Read MoreWe’re excited to launch VC CONNECT, an online destination through which just some of the hundreds of films and media productions created by Visual Communications can be found for your enjoyment. Each week, we’ll roll out a new batch, specially themed for our audience’s diverse cinematic palate. Our focus this week is Little Tokyo, featuring films made by participants in our Digital Histories program.
Read MoreAs a member of the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition, Visual Communications is proud to support the premiere of two new television series on cable networks that feature South Asian Americans: the unscripted FAMILY KARMA on Bravo and the animated MIRA: ROYAL DETECTIVE on Disney Junior.
Read MoreIn keeping with directives from our local, state, and federal health agencies, we are rescheduling the 36th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF), originally slated for April 30 - May 8, 2020, to later this year. We are committed to the well being of our volunteers, artists, and audiences.
Read MoreThe years 1998 through 2003 were game-changing years for Visual Communications, as the organization shifted from a creation based organization to a talent incubator with a focus on developing programs like the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Take a look at some photos from the VC Archives that were selected by our 2020 Winter Quarter Program Associates from UCLA.
Read MoreWe are closely monitoring the latest developments of coronavirus (COVID-19) and are listening to the recommendations of our local health officials at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. We are moving forward with our Festival as planned, and should the situation change, we will update you right away.
Read MoreOn Saturday, Feb 1st, we hosted our "Dance the Night Away" fundraiser at the Nishi Hongwanji Temple in Little Tokyo. The turnout this year was great! Thank you to everyone who attended the dance and supported the event.
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