William Yu, the man who launched #StarringJohnCho, will join industry professionals at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) on 5 November to discuss issues surrounding diversity in North America’s entertainment industry.
Yu’s panel, which will explore the idea of casting Asian leads in Hollywood productions, will be the last in a 3-part series of panel discussions. The first two panels, which will focus on Asian presence in the comic book and music industries, will both take place on 4 November, and will feature panels of professionals from those respective fields.
“[Vancouver] is home to a large, active Asian filmmaking and acting population,” states VAFF, pinpointing the city as an ideal location for media diversity advocates to gather. “[Vancouver is] affectionately referred to as ‘Hollywood North,’ and arguably the best gateway to Asia.”
“VAFF fiercely supports campaigns such as #StarringJohnCho and #OscarSoWhite, and will continue to help coordinate these passionate efforts into an actionable plan for substantial change.”
The AIM³ Summit is part of the VAFF Industry Seminar Series, as a platform inviting festival attendees to explore this year’s Homecoming theme. “[This year’s film] lineup invites us to explore different interpretations and accommodations of ‘home,’ and what it symbolizes—particularly for a diaspora.”
The current line-up for the panels are as follows:
SESSION 1: Asians in Comics: Genesis for Future Screenplays
- Speaker 1: Jennifer de Guzman
- Speaker 2: Jon Tsuei
- Speaker 3: Sarah Kuhn
- Speaker 4: Christine Norrie
- Speaker 5: Bernard Chang
- Moderator: Leonard S Wong
SESSION 2: Asians in Music: In Search of Asian Rockstars in North America
- Speaker 1 & 2: SA TrackWorks (Steve Smith and Anthony Anderson)
- Speaker 3: Troy Samson
- Speaker 4: Gina Oh
- Speaker 5: Alfa Garcia
- Speaker 6: David Quan
- Speaker 7: Jane Shin
- Speaker 8: Music BC (Lindsay MacPherson and Becky Wosk)
- Moderator: Andrea Gin
SESSION 3: Asians in Movies: Casting for Asian Leads and Standing up for Change
- Keynote Speaker: William Yu
- Speaker 1: Kevin K. Li
- Speaker 2: Judy Lee
- Speaker 3: Raymond Massey
- Speaker 4: Agam Darshi
- Speaker 5: Diana Bang
- Speaker 6: Jeff Yang
- Speaker 7: National Bank – Film Financing
- Moderator: Lee Shortern
AIM³ Summit sessions will be open to festival attendees, including filmmakers, VIP passholders, and ticket holders with membership. For scheduling information, as well as to purchase tickets, click here.
