The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF) – formerly known as VC FilmFest – is an annual film festival presented by

Visual Communications (VC) Visual Communications (also known as VC) –– is a community-based non-profit media arts organization based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1970 by independent filmmakers Robert Nakamura, Alan Ohashi, Eddie Wong, and Duane Kubo, who were st ...

. It was established in 1983 by Linda Mabalot as a vehicle to promote

Asian Pacific American Asian/Pacific American (APA) or Asian/Pacific Islander (API) or Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) or Asian American and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) is a term sometimes used in the United States when including both Asian a ...

and Asian international cinema. The festival fulfills a unique mission in illuminating the visions and voices of Asian Pacific peoples and heritage. The festival is held in Los Angeles in May, which is

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (, officially changed from Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month) is observed in the United States during the month of May, and recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and ...

. The festival is the largest in Southern California dedicated to showcasing films by and about Asians and Pacific Islanders. It presents about 150 films and mediaworks, including opening and closing night celebrations, a centerpiece presentation, panels, workshops, and special events.

History

The Festival began working with the UCLA film department. It is one of the largest showcases of Asian and Asian American filmmaking in the United States. In 2003, the festival, held at several sites around Los Angeles, drew 10,000 people over seven days in early May 2003. The Festival sponsored young Asian American filmmakers, such as

Justin Lin Justin Lin (, born October 11, 1971) is a Taiwanese Americans, Taiwanese-American film director. His films have grossed US$2.3 billion worldwide as of March 2017. He is best known for his directorial work on ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002), the ...

, who directed,

Better Luck Tomorrow ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' is a 2002 American crime film, crime-Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Justin Lin. The film is about Asian American overachievers who become bored with their lives and enter a world of petty crime and ma ...

. The festival has two categories of awards in both North American and international categories.

Activities

According to Justin Lin, "Mabalot allowed him to use Visual Communications’ offices in Little Tokyo for auditions and rehearsals and was a source of unwavering moral support for a movie that contradicted the image of Asian Americans as a model minority." In 1977, Duane Kubo and Eddie Wong are two of the founding members of Visual Communications. Linda Mabalot joined the collective of artists while walking in Little Tokyo one day in 1977 and meeting Kubo and Wong. As a result, a documentary titled “Manong,” which focused on Filipino farmworkers in the Central Valley and on Philip Vera Cruz, a Filipino American pioneer in the United Farm Workers movement was created. In 1985, when Visual Communications, the sponsor of the festival, faced financial troubles, Mabalot earned the position of executive director.

Events

* Screenings of

Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...

and Asian international films * Post-screening discussions with directors and cast members * Industry panels on acting, directing, writing and cinematography * Gala receptions and networking mixers

Awards

LAAPFF presents juried awards to selected films in the following categories: * Narrative Feature * Documentary Feature * "Golden Reel" Award for short film * "Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions" Award LAAPFF is an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-qualifying festival for "Golden Reel" Short Film Awards. The festival also presents an Audience Award for narrative feature.

Venues

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...

theaters *

Laemmle Theatres Laemmle Theatres ( ) is a group of family-run arthouse movie theaters in the Los Angeles area. It was established in 1938Richard Verrier A Hollywood opening for downton cinema October 24, 2009 Los Angeles Times and is owned and operated by Rober ...

Sunset 5 * (

JANM The is located in Los Angeles, California, and dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Japanese Americans. Founded in 1992, it is located in the Little Tokyo area near downtown. The museum is an affiliate within the Smithsonian Affil ...

) National Center for the Preservation of Democracy * Aratani/Japan America Theatre * Pacific Amphitheatre, Orange County *

The Downtown Independent The Downtown Independent is a one screen theater and cinema located at 251 S. Main Street in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles, California. It is operated by the Downtown Independent and owned by Orange County Orange County most commonly re ...

References

External links

LAAPFF websiteVisual Communications websiteLAAPFF
on MySpace Film festivals in Los Angeles Asian-American film festivals Asian-American culture in Los Angeles Film festivals established in 1983 Pacific Islands American culture in California {{US-film-festival-stub