APAHM: Film
I got into filmmaking with all the movies my dad and uncle would watch with me. My dad loved carrying around his camera and VHS camcorder on family vacations, and I grew to “act” for the camera and then hold it to record my family. The passion grew as YouTube came around in 2006, and I did some videos for class projects that I thought were well-received. Then of course, WongFu Productions, three Asian filmmakers graduating from UCSD came on the YouTube scene with classics like ‘Yellow Fever’ and a ton of lip sync videos. They still continue to create projects today and their team has grown significantly.
Soon, I enrolled in the film program at the City College of San Francisco before transferring to the Academy of Art University with a film major in video editing. From there, I became completely engulfed in storytelling, but specially Asian storytelling. With my White professors confusing all the Asian students together, even confusing my best friend from AAU Aaron Eide, a clearly Filipino man, with me, a Chinese guy, as siblings. It showed me that even these supposed film professionals weren’t exposed to enough Asians on screen or at work to be able to separate us.
The biggest change to my mindset of Asians in filmmaking was from three guys who mentored me in San Francisco. Josh Chuck, Anson Ho, and Evan Jackson Leong all grew up with one another, and all became filmmakers. They took me under their wing to work on projects that involved Jeremy Lin. They told me stories of working with Justin Lin, who arguably paved many careers as a Taiwanese-born, but US raised filmmaker. His breakthrough film, Better Luck Tomorrow, starring an all Asian main cast showing Asian-Americans trying to cheat the SAT. That gave him the opportunity to direct Fast & The Furious Tokyo Drift eventually taking over the success of the franchise.Being around these stories and creative minds with hands-on experiences has been priceless.
As Hollywood continued to adapt, social media platforms grew Asian voices like NigaHiga, Tim Chantarangsu, Jin the MC, and many more… it soon paved the way for more than just the typical Asian representation of martial artists like Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen. Now we have Asian stars leading in their own films for major companies like Disney, Netflix, HBO like Awkwafina, John Cho, Steven Yuen, Sung Kang, Danny Puti, Ali Wong, and Constance Wu in Asian directed ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ featuring an all-Asian cast for a modern story since the Joy Luck Club (1993). To think that I didn’t even need to Google that, where less than a decade ago, I wouldn’t even be able to name many off the top of my head.
As a tribute, here is a list of 10 films/shows written, directed, or starring an Asian creator. They are not in any particular order, but I recommend them for people to watch.
Better Luck Tomorrow (Prime - Film)
The Farewell (Prime - Film)
Gook (Prime - Film)
Always be my Maybe (Netflix - Film)
Over the Moon (Netflix - Film)
Kim’s Convenience (Netflix - TV)
Parasite (Hulu - Oscar Film)
Fresh off the Boat (Hulu - TV)
Warrior (HBO Max - TV)
Searching (John Cho)
