Visual Communications (VC), the first nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to the honest and accurate portrayals of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities through media arts, announced the lineup for VC Film Fest, the 40th edition of their film festival, formerly known as the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (LAAPFF).
Set to open on May 1, VC Film Fest will center the storytelling power from Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, and will encourage audiences to activate that power into action at home and action with organizations that serve Black, Indigenous, and additional people of color.
Produced annually by Visual Communications, VC Film Fest will present over 150 films over 10 days. The festival will be anchored in Little Tokyo, as a way to build regenerative power in the Arts District/Little Tokyo neighborhood, with in-person events at Aratani Theatre, Japanese American National Museum (JANM), and Union Center for the Arts. Additionally, VC Film Fest will bring programming to the Art Theatre of Long Beach, closing out the festival with films that center on Black, Southeast Asian, and Pasifika stories.
L.A. Storytellers
As one of the most diverse cities in California, Los Angeles has many unique storytelling threads that connect the communities. Honoring that legacy, VC Film Fest will present films that reflect some of the diverse talent in L.A. with films including:
The world premiere of “Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement.” Directed by Quyên Nguyen-Le and Tadashi Nakamura, this feature documentary is a sweeping tale that follows the life of visionary artist-activist Nobuko Miyamoto. Born and raised in Los Angeles, her cultural impact has stretched across both coasts of the nation and her work has changed Asian America forever.
“Cruisin’ J-Town.” Produced in 1975 and directed by Duane Kubo, one of VC’s founders, this documentary explores the roots of the popular jazz fusion band Hiro-shima and connects them to the era of pre-redevelopment Little Tokyo. Select group members discuss the sociological and cultural pulse of the early 1970s. Dan Kuramoto describes the political movements of the 1960s out of which Asian American music emerged, while June Kuramoto relates being ridiculed in her youth for playing the koto. Taiko player Johnny Mori delves into the influence of African American, Latino, and rock ‘n roll music on his art.
VC Archives
Home to the VC Archives, one of the largest photographic and moving image archives on Asian Pacific experiences in America, VC designed this year’s festival to honor the archives and VC’s practice of documenting Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in California and beyond. In doing so, VC Fest will present a slate of films, to celebrate that legacy, including:
“Stand Up for Justice.” A production of VC and Nikkei for Civil Rights & Redress, this film, directed by John Esaki, presents the story of Ralph Lazo, a 17-year-old Mexican American student at Belmont High School in Los Angeles during World War II. After President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066, Ralph witnesses the pain and humiliation of his Japanese American friends and their families, who are forced to sell their belongings and “evacuate” to Manzanar, a concentration camp in a remote California desert. Against the backdrop of the chaos when armed soldiers ordered tens of thousands of Japanese Americans to board trains and buses to unknown destinations, Ralph’s response remains a rare act of friendship, loyalty, and strong principles in a time of crisis.
“Pieces of a Dream.” Directed by Eddie Wong, one of VC’s founders, this lyrical documentary follows immigrant farm laborers — Chinese, Japanese, and the Filipino Manongs — who came to America through Angel Island to work the land. “Pieces of a Dream” tells the story of Asian Pacific American life and history on the Sacramento River delta. A visit to the Locke Historic District, a town founded by Chinese immigrants shows viewers the sharp realities of the present: The crumbled wooden Chinatown looks like a quaint tourist landmark, but is revealed as low-income housing for the Delta’s poor; a Japanese American farmer talks about the pressures of the large agribusiness on small farmers.
Following the short film program, presented on Opening Day, VC founder Duane Kubo will join Wong in a fireside chat to discuss the power of community, the synergy of media production and civil rights activism, and the early days of VC.
Armed with a Camera
In continuation of VC’s mission to build connections between peoples and generations through film, video, and media, VC Film Fest will debut 24 works from VC’s artist development programs: Digital Histories, designed to encourage older adults to
make films with their perspective; and the Armed with a Camera Fellowship, a program that cultivates a rising generation of artists committed to social and political changes and movements.
This year, the AWC world premiere center the perspectives of six creatives and their artistic response to selections from the VC Archives. The AWC 2023-2024 artist cohort is composed of:
Alfred Bordallo’s work focuses on recollecting and honoring the fragmented and, more importantly, repurposed facets of CHamoru identity through the analog mediums of photography and video.
With ancestral ties to the Hawaiian and Philippine islands, Bryson Nihipali draws much inspiration for his photographic work from his family and their rich cultural heritage.
Honestine Pa’ala-Fraser received her MS in digital communications at Syracuse University. Her work can be found in publications like Teen Vogue, POPSUGAR, and HuffPost.
Kayli Kimura’s work spans various genres with a focus on non-fiction storytelling and musically driven films. In addition to her directorial and cinematography work, Kimura worked in the camera department for a variety of commercials, TV shows, documentaries, and music videos, including projects for Netflix, Hulu, Food Network, PBS, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Telfar. She is the creative director and manager for Queens, N.Y.-born Nigerian American rapper Akinyemi.
Paula Kiley most recently worked on a feature documentary titled “Body Parts,” a Sundance-selected film that explores the evolution of desire and “sex” on-screen from a female perspective — allowing women to reclaim the parts of themselves that have been objectified and exploited for decades.
As a Pakistani American, Zaynah Waseem’s work uplifts the diverse stories of South Asian Muslim communities through ethnographic film, media production, digital storytelling, and archival research.
VC Film Fest will feature over 150 films with 37 world premieres, five international premieres, 11 North American/U.S. premieres, 24 West Coast premieres, and 37 Los Angeles premieres. Highlights from the fest’s robust feature film lineup:
Narrative Features and Documentary Features will take us around the world: from the Uyghur Region to Monterey Park to Pakistan and beyond. Some highlights include:
The world premiere of “Home Court.” This documentary directed by Erica Tanamachi traces the ascent of Ashley Chea, a Cambodian American basketball prodigy whose life intensifies amid recruitment, injury, and triumph throughout her high school career.
“Jewell: A Just Vision,” directed by Madeleine Lim, shines a hope-filled spotlight on Lambda Award-winning novelist, activist, and philanthropist Jewelle Gomez, an Ioway/Wampanoag Native American, and Cape Verdean/Black lesbian femme elder.
The West Coast premiere of “Nikah,” directed by Mukaddas Mijit Mijit and Bastien Ehouzan. This narrative feature from the Uyghur region follows a 27-year-old woman who is still single and has to endure pressure from her family to get married.
The world premiere of “Paper Marriage.” Written and directed by Jeff Man, with the Duplass Brothers as executive producers, this feature narrative follows a young professional who is seeking a U.S. green card and enlists the help of a directionless slacker to stage a marriage.
The world premiere of “Shaka: A Story of Aloha.” Directed by Alexander Bocchieri, this feature documentary invites you on a global journey, from a temple in Japan to surf breaks in Brazil and the white sandy shores of Hawai’i, to discover the shaka hand signʻs origin, meanings, and why itʻs the secret to paradise.
Democracy Series: This year, more than 80 nations will hold elections; and the current political commentary grows more urgent by the day, as democracy seems to slowly break down in governments around the globe. The series will be a space to reflect on democracy from different nations, through films including:
The world premiere of “Dissidents.” Directed by Yi Chen, the film follows as an artist’s sculpture is burnt down, a protester is charged with a criminal case, and a democracy movement is violently attacked. Not even exile is safe.
L.A. premiere of “And So It Begins.” In a decades-long nonfiction saga of the Philippines, director Ramona Diaz presents the latest chapter on her homeland as the despotic reign of President Rodrigo Duterte is coming to an end. “And So It Begins” proffers unbridled access to the key players in the months leading up to the 2022 presidential election.
L.A. premiere of “Breaking the Cycle.” This documentary directed by Aekaphong Saransate and Thanakrit Duangmaneeporn explores the 2019 election in Thailand, which marked the end of five years of full military rule and a new group of young politicians who campaign against an authoritarian constitution, sparking hope and a once-in-a-generation youth movement.
L.A. premiere of “Invisible Nation.” With unprecedented access to Taiwan’s sitting head of state, director Vanessa Hope investigates the election and tenure of Tsai Ingwen, the first female president of Taiwan.
Pacific Cinewaves: Programming celebrating stories and storytellers emerging from Hawai’i, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Guåhan (Guam), Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Samoa, and throughout the Pacific region. Film presentations include:
U.S. premiere of “Inky Pinky Ponky.” Directed by Ramon TeWake and Damon Fepuleai and written by Amanaki Prescott-Faletau, this feature film paints a tale of high school crushes with the arrival of the fakaleiti (two-spirited) Lisa causes a stir, particularly with rugby captain Mose.
L.A. premiere of “Kūkini,” directed by Mitchel Merrick and written by Paula Fuga. In 1790 Hawaiʻi, an elite warrior must leave his family behind when sent on a deadly mission to report on the bloody war waged by Kamehameha against Maui.
L.A. premiere of “Lea Tupu’Anga/Mother Tongue.” Directed by Vea Mafile’o, this short film follows a young speech therapist who is disconnected from her Tongan heritage and lies about her Tongan language skills to get a job.
Our Storytelling Power: This short film program is curated from arts organizations that encourage community-centered filmmaking that begins with the community members as the lead creatives. The lineup will feature Asian, Black, and Latine communities, and will embody a multicultural solidarity that amplifies the combined storytelling power that can impact all of our lives. Participating films and organizations include:
The Botanical Gardens: An Urban Oasis. Produced with guidance from Entre Film Center in Rio Grande Valley, Texas, this short documentary features archival footage of the McAllen Nature Center and interviews with Jessica Tanguma and Angelina Vasquez, two former park employees.
“Staying Put.” Produced by Philadelphia’s Chinatown Community Development Corporation, with guidance from Scribe Video Center’s Precious Places Community History Project, the documentary traces voices from the 1960s to present day to chronicle Philadelphia Chinatown’s history of community and resistance to external forces of development, gentrification, and erasure.
For more information, visit festival.vcmedia.org.