“Dawn of a New Day: Asian American Women Who Are Changing Media” will be presented on Thursday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum’s Aratani Central Hall, 100 N. Central Ave. in Little Tokyo.
Light reception at 6 p.m.; program begins at 6:45 p.m.
“Dawn of a New Day” is a panel of Asian American women in film/TV/media that promotes social change with their work. This panel of fierce female leaders, storytellers, and activists who have challenged a predominantly male-dominated industry will be moderated by Ada Tseng of The L.A. Times. Panelists are Actress Tess Paras, writer Fawzia Mirza, performance artist Kristina Wong, and director Grace Lee.
Ada Tseng is the entertainment editor for TimesOC, an L.A. Times community paper covering Orange County. She has also written for Public Radio International, The Washington Post, LA Weekly, and NBC News.
Grace Lee is an independent producer, director, and writer working in both narrative and non-fiction film. She directed the Peabody Award-winning documentary “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs.”
Fawzia Mirza is one of the most buzzed rising stars in Hollywood. Her popularity increased after being staffed on the CBS/Berlanti/DuVernay series “Red Line.” Her 2017 feature film “Signature Move,” which she co-wrote, produced, and starred in, has won numerous major festival awards, including the Outfest Grand Jury Prize.
Tess Paras is an actress, writer, and comedian based in Los Angeles. She is featured on the Amazon Studios series “Just Add Magic” and on the CW’s “Crazy-Ex Girlfriend.” She is most recognized for her role on NBC’s hit drama “Grimm,” which introduced the first Filipino American storyline on prime-time television.
Kristina Wong is a performance artist, writer, and elected representative who has been presented internationally across North America, the U.K., Hong Kong, and Africa. She has been a guest on late-night shows on Comedy Central and FX, and an actor in various films and TV shows.
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs is partnering with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, Ethno Communications, and Asian American Studies Department along with JANM and the nonprofit media arts organization Visual Communications for this event as part of the Meyer and Renee Luskin Lecture Series.
This is also the closing program for the exhibit “At First Light” at JANM, organized by VC and JANM to encapsulate the quest to present more authentic portrayals of Asian American communities. “At First Light” charts the development of an Asian American “movement” as captured by the images made by the founders and core staff members of VC. The panelists of “Dawn of a New Day” will show how this movement has evolved and continues to change the face of media.
Free but registration required. Click here.