Asian American Film Groups
Here is a list of film groups that aim to support Asian American filmmakers and media artists. These film groups are actively working to ensure that all voices are heard. They created communities where Asian American creative artists feel like they belong. This lists consists of groups that do public programming, host film festivals and publish YouTube videos.
All of these groups focus on self-representation on the screen to correct misunderstandings about Asian culture. Through self-representation, Asian Americans can disarm harmful stereotypes by creating characters that represent how they see themselves or how they want to be represented. These five groups are essential to the progress of correcting Asian American representation and recognition in the media.
Center for Asian American Media
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a nonprofit organization that funds, produces, distributes, and exhibits film, television, and digital media. Their mission is to present "stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible." Their work has helped Asian Americans represent themselves and show their true experiences.
CAAM creates opportunities for Americans, and people worldwide share the diverse stories of Asian Americans through three things:
Careers: CAAM helps filmmakers reach their full potential by supporting them financially and providing resources for them to use.
Community: CAAM connects filmmakers to a wide variety of audiences, sparking conversations about inclusiveness and social equity.
Perspective: CAAM strives to create work that changes people's perspectives and inspires empathy and meaningful social action.
Foundation for Asian American Independent Media
The Foundation for Asian American Independent Media (FAAIM) was founded in 1995 to supports emerging Asian American creative talent. They host events such as their annual Asian American Showcase in Chicago and build a grassroots audience for their artists' work. FAAIM's goal is to put Asian American media and arts into the spotlight and disprove the outdated stereotypes of Asian Americans.
FAAIM's mission is to:
Educate communities about Asian American history and issues.
Share Asian American perspectives as part of the United State's multicultural society narrative.
Develop a deeper understanding of race, ethnicity, religion, age, and region.
Sustain growth and foster excellence in Asian American culture.
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Asian American Film Lab
The Asian American Film Lab (AAFL) is a not-for-profit organization that focuses on promoting and supporting gender and racial equality in film and television. They have public programs, a 72 Hour Shootout filmmaking competition, and in-house entertainment production. They strive to make sure people's voices are heard loudly rather than silenced in mainstream media.
AAFL-TV is currently on their 13th television season. They are showing on Spectrum and Xfinity in five major cities.
Asian CineVision
Asian CineVision (ACV) is a nonprofit media arts organization committed to the development, exhibition, promotion, and preservation of Asian American film and video. In 1978, they founded the Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF), the first and longest-running festival in the U.S. to exhibit the best independent Asian and Asian American cinema.
ACV's goal is to bring more social and cultural awareness of the Asian American experience to the public. Their founders Peter Chow, Danny Yung, Thomas Tam, Christine Choy, and Tsui Hark wanted to address problems of Asian American representation and their access to media production and distribution resources.
Wong Fu Productions
Wong Fu Productions was founded in 2003 on YouTube. It is an independent digital production company that started off doing dramatic shorts and comedy sketches. They have over three million subscribers, with over 500 million views, and their work has been recognized by CNN, NPR, and the White House for their authentic representation of Asian Americans.
They create quality films and series about the Asian American experience and bring diverse films to a wide audience. Wong Fu has been actively fighting Hollywood stereotypes and is changing the way Asian Americans are being seen on screen. They have created a community and experience where Asian Americans feel like they belong.
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