Sunrise Collective

Furthering TAAF’s commitment to AAPI creatives, which started with the “SUNDANCE INSTITUTE | The Asian American Foundation Fellowship and Collab Scholarship,” TAAF, along with Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD and Gold House, launched the official AAPI House at the Sundance Film Festival. Called Sunrise Collective, the organizers hosted 3 days of programming including 12 panels, 3 community breakfasts, a press mixer, Lunar New Year dinner and celebration, Multicultural House dinner and party, and the 19th year of the Asian Pacific Filmmakers Experience (APFE).

With support from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Panda Express, JP Morgan, The Coca-Cola Company, United, and Airbnb, Sunrise Collective was a unifying home for AAPI and multicultural leaders, creatives, and talent. Over the course of the weekend, over 2,000 attendees visited Sunrise House.

Discussion topics centered around representation in front of and behind the camera, mixed media storytelling, the business of narrative change and multicultural content, and diversity of AAPI voices and storylines.

Speakers included notable AAPI filmmakers, artists, journalists, executives, and TAAF partners including Andrea Cherng (Chief Brand Officer, Panda Express), Kathy Im (Director of Journalism and Media, MacArthur Foundation), Amna Nawaz (Co-Anchor, PBS NewsHour), Randall Park (Director, Shortcomings), Andy Kim (Congressman, NJ-3), Destin Daniel Cretton (Director, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Erika Moritsugu (White House Deputy Assistant to the President and AA and NHPI Senior Liaison), Juju Chang (Co-Anchor, ABC Nightline), Richard Lui (Director and NBC News/MSNBC Anchor), Gurinder Chadha (BAFTA-Nominated Writer, Director, Producer, Bend It Like Beckham, Blinded By the Light, Bend It Films), Nina Yang Bongiovi (BAFTA-nominated Producer, Passing, Fruitvale Station, Fancy Dance), Rishi Rajani (CEO, Hillman Grad; Producer, One Thousand and One; The Forty Year-Old Version), Justin Chon (Director, Co-Writer, Producer, JAMOJAYA), Rupi Kaur (Poet and Narrator, Rise).

A Lunar New Year celebration was held on Friday night with a dinner provided by Michelin-starred COTE Korean Steakhouse and proprietor Simon Kim, followed by a party DJed by 88Rising’s DJ Hu Dat. On Saturday Night, Sunrise Collective hosted a multicultural celebration with MACRO, Black House, The Latinx House, IllumiNative, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, RespectAbility, and 1497. Dinner was hosted by Chinese Peruvian fine-casual restaurant, Chifa 國偉, and featured a toast by the co-hosts listed above. Joe Hahn of Linkin Park headlined the Multicultural House Party. 

On Sunday morning, after learning about the mass shooting in Monterey Park, programming was adjusted to address the tragedy and reinforce the core mission of Sunrise Collective: to be a space to celebrate achievements but also provide a place of community in moments of tragedy.

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