Napa Valley Asian American Film Festival to debut
The first Napa Valley Asian American Film Festival, which debuts at the Napa Valley College (NVC) on Feb. 7, is the result of a partnership inspired, in part, by IW Group, a creative multicultural agency aligned with Interpublic Group and its founder, Bill Imada.
The festival will include conversations with college staff, film- makers, producers and community leaders.
“Napa Valley is a place where cultures thrive,” said Imada, who has resided in Napa for more than a decade. “The region attracts people of all interests, from artists to agronomists and from entrepreneurs to high-tech innovators. One way to showcase the richness of Asian American stories is through films, and Napa Valley College’s Performing Arts Center is the perfect venue to screen the cinematic achievements of several talented filmmakers.”
The festival kicks off on Thursday night with a private dinner by Yountville’s RO Restaurant and Lounge Chef de Cuisine Jeffery Hayashi. On Friday morning, local and regional vintners and restaurateurs will provide food and beverages at the performing arts center. Actress and AMRYN winemaker Kara Wang, (Top Gun: Maverick) and actor and content creator Ryan Alexander Holmes, seen on The Morning Show, will serve as co-emcees, providing details on the films and leading Q&A discussions with directors, writers, producers and artificial intelligence film technologists.
Among the moderators will be Nicollette Morales, Napa Valley College professor of ethnic stud- ies, who will talk about the importance of representation in film; MARGINAL’s Sanjay Sharma, who will address cinematic innovations in AI filmmaking; Patricia Ratulangi, Nielsen vice president of communications, who will discuss the significance of Asian American filmmakers in popular culture; and CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) Executive Director Michelle K. Sugihara, who will discuss how representation has led to greater opportunities for Asian Americans in filmmaking.
“Now more than ever, the historic Napa Valley is the perfect setting to merge film, food and
technology, through a vehicle that amplifies the unique contributions that we as Asian Americans have, and continue to make, to this country’s rich history across all these categories,” Sharma said. “We aim to spotlight and celebrate the powerful cultural and commercial engines that our shared diasporas help drive.”
MARGINAL is an independent studio focused on storytelling from subcultures and voices that develops and produces feature films, series, animation, interactive/web3 and audio series.
Dr. Patricia van Leeuwaarde Moonsammy, senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at NVC, said the films were chosen by a panel of leading figures in the film industry, including members of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and MARGINAL.
Another participant is NVC Ethnic Studies Professor Nikki Morales, who was involved in identifying Filipino nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic for the feature-length film, Nurse Unseen.
Moonsammy said the films are a broad and expansive representation of the Asian American experience, including Chinese, Indian, Pakistani and Filipino stories that are American stories. The films deal with a wide array of themes including forbidden love, displacement and relocation, diasporic connections and alienation, sacrifice, anti-Asian hate, technology, surveillance, alternative realities and the supernatural.
“This is really important right now, centering Asian and Asian American stories that are script- ed, acted and directed by Asian Americans, from a diversity of ethnic backgrounds and cultures and experiences, and identities and perspectives,” Moonsammy said. “We need to see ourselves represented in the media in a manner that is authentic, that comes from a place of love, and that realistically represents the lived experience.”
According to the 2020 census in Napa County, Asians make up 9.4% of the population; 33% of American Canyon residents identify as Filipino American, according to data from 2022.
Moonsammy said the discourse around diversity, equity and inclusion has been circulated by conservative comments which suggest that DEI initiatives are divisive and dangerous. She wants to re- mind others of the importance of DEI in institutions, especially in environments such as a community college.
“DEI programs are designed to create greater opportunities for equity by dismantling institutional barriers to resources and support for people from communities that have been systematically disadvantaged. And when we dismantle those barriers, everyone benefits. Because our institutions are im- proved, DEI initiatives create welcoming and inclusive environments for all,” she said.
“We want everyone to feel invited and embraced in our schools, offices, businesses and communities. So, at Napa Valley College, we’re so happy to be co-sponsors of the Napa Valley Asian American Film Festival because the core mission of the film festival aligns so well with the values of the college.”
