The top three finalists for the 2018 HBO APA Visionaries short film competition include Director Feng-I Fiona Roan’s short “Jiejie”, “June” directed by Huay-Bing Law and the Maritte Go directed film, “Remittance”.
HBO’s Asian Pacific American Visionaries, is a short film competition that was created in 2016 to encourage and provide emerging APA directors a place to showcase their work. Sponsored by HBO, the panel of judges include HBO executives, industry leaders and fellow APA filmmakers. This year’s competition asked filmmaker’s to explore the concept of “home” in creative and innovative ways.
“Jiejie” directed by Feng-I Fiona Roan follows the story of two young sisters who are raised by their single immigrant mother in Los Angeles during 1997. On the sisters’ first day at church, older sister Fen Liang betrays her little sibling, Ann fueling an unprecedented outburst since their immigration. Taipei born Roan, received her Directing MFA from the American Film Institute. Roan’s projects focus on strong female leads as well as explores their relationships in an “intimate, familial, naturalistic atmosphere.”
“June” is set in 1955 and is a story of a Chinese Wife who tries to fit in at her husband’s Texas University graduation party. The short is directed by Huay-Bing Law whose films have premiered at numerous Film Festivals including the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Fest, Lone Star, Hawaii International and Austin Film Festival.
The Maritte Go directed film, “Remittance” is inspired by Go’s immigrant family experience and follows a Filipino cruise worker who receives a phone call that her son is in the hospital. Filipina American Go received her Masters in Film/TV Production from USC. Fueled by her attraction for horror films, she is currently in preproduction to direct and write a horror anthology produced by Radio Silence.
"HBO is proud to not only be part of the dialogue about media diversity but also leading new conversations around it," stated Jackie Gagne, VP Multicultural Marketing at HBO. "With Asian Pacific American Visionaries, we are empowering communities through representation while celebrating great artistic talent."
"In order for progress and change to be possible for Asian Americans in Hollywood, the major studios and networks must find ways to work together with our community," said Francis Cullado, Executive Director of Visual Communications, the organization that produces the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. "The Asian Pacific American Visionaries program demonstrates HBO's continued industry excellence and sets an example for other companies who are serious about diversity."
"HBO is a network that continues to break new ground with both its award-winning programs and commitment to developing diverse talent," said Michelle K. Sugihara, Executive Director of CAPE. "Asian Pacific American Visionaries perfectly aligns with our organization's core principles of creating new opportunities for APA artists and advancing culture through entertainment."
The top three films will premiere at the upcoming Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in April 2018 and will be offered the opportunity to license their film to premiere exclusively on HBO during May 2018; to coincide with Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.