Titled "Seen and Heard: Filmmaking, Storytelling, and the Asian-American Identity," an online talk with a focus on the history of Asian Americans in cinema will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube at 2:00 pm (PST) on July 25.
The event is a joint effort by Taiwanese American Professionals - Los Angeles (TAP-LA), one of the largest networks of Taiwanese-American young professionals in the United States, Taiwanese American Professionals Washington, D.C. Area (TAP - DC), and Taiwanese American Film Festival (TAFF) to highlight the background Asian-American filmmakers share and the cultural heritage of the community.
Hosted by TAFF Executive Director Cindy Lu (陸昱彤), the virtual talk will be joined by three panelists – sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen (王嵐芝), actor Kenny Leu (呂蔡嶸), and film producer/financier Jason C. Lin (林家賢) – who will discuss how to inspire the Asian American community to appreciate their unique cultural heritage through films.
Nancy Wang Yuen is a scholar with expertise in race and ethnicity in film and television. Through her works, she examines the barriers that actors of color encounter in Hollywood and how they challenge stereotypes of Asian Americans with creativity. Kenny Leu, meanwhile, is a Taiwanese-American actor who has developed a reputation for increasing the profile of lesser-known stories of Asian characters by tackling real-life roles.
Jason C. Lin is a veteran film producer who also played multiple business and finance roles at prominent enterprises including Alibaba Pictures, Jet Li Production Studio, the Walt Disney Company, and Morgan Stanley.
The July 25 event is not the only project TAP-LA took part to explore Asian American identity. In observance of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, TAP- LA launched a virtual talk show "So What Now?!" on May 23. Hosted by Taiwanese American filmmakers Anthony Ma (馬佳孝) and Roxy Shih (施惠馨), the one-hour event featured special guest Randall Park, who rose to fame by taking on the father role in the acclaimed series "Fresh Off the Boat."
The July 25 talk will be followed by an interactive Q&A session; visit here for more information pertaining to the upcoming event.