Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival uplifts films and mediaworks that are principally made by and/or about Asian Pacific Islander individuals and communities around the world.

Films shared for consideration must include an artist of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage on their creative team.

Films shared for consideration must have been completed on or after January 1, 2022.

Films invited to the festival should have hardcoded subtitles in their exhibition file to ensure a D/deaf and hard of hearing audience can experience your film. If your film is invited to screen at LAAPFF, your film must be subtitled in English (even if your film is in English). It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide subtitles for their exhibition file and promotional screeners. LAAPFF will not be responsible for subtitles. Films without subtitles will not be included in the Festival lineup.

FILM CATEGORIES
Feature Film (Narrative, Documentary)
Fiction or non-fiction films of any genre principally created by and/or about Asian and/or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders with themes involving, but NOT limited to: Asian and/or Pacific American, Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander diasporic culture, history and experiences. Works eligible for this category MUST have a running time of at least 41 minutes and are expected to be presented at the Festival as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) or as otherwise required. If your film is invited to screen at LAAPFF, your film must have hardcoded subtitles in English. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide subtitles for their exhibition file and promotional screeners. LAAPFF will not be responsible for subtitles. Films without subtitles will not be included in the Festival lineup.

Short Film (Narrative, Documentary)
Fiction or non-fiction films of any genre principally created by and/or about Asian and/or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders with themes involving, but NOT limited to: Asian and/or Pacific American, Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander diasporic culture, history and experiences. Works eligible for this category MUST have a running time not to exceed 40 minutes and are expected to be presented at the Festival as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) or as otherwise required. If your film is invited to screen at LAAPFF, your film must have hardcoded subtitles in English. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide subtitles for their exhibition file and promotional screeners. LAAPFF will not be responsible for subtitles. Films without subtitles will not be included in the Festival lineup.

Indigenous Storytelling/Pacific Cinewaves Feature Film (Narrative, Documentary)
Fiction or non-fiction films of any genre principally created by and/or about Indigenous Peoples – descendants of the original stewards of a geographical region before people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived (e.g., Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders, Ifugao, Hmong, and more). Works eligible for this category MUST have a running time of at least 41 minutes and are expected to be presented at the Festival as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) or as otherwise required. If your film is invited to screen at LAAPFF, your film must have hardcoded subtitles in English. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide subtitles for their exhibition file and promotional screeners. LAAPFF will not be responsible for subtitles. Films without subtitles will not be included in the Festival lineup.

Indigenous Storytelling/Pacific Cinewaves Short Film (Narrative, Documentary)
Fiction or non-fiction films (and music videos) of any genre principally created by and/or about Indigenous Peoples – descendants of the original stewards of a geographical region before people of different cultures or ethnic origins arrived (e.g., Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders, Ifugao, Hmong, and more). Works eligible for this category MUST have a running time not to exceed 40 minutes and are expected to be presented at the Festival as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) or as otherwise required. If your film is invited to screen at LAAPFF, your film must have hardcoded subtitles in English. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide subtitles for their exhibition file and promotional screeners. LAAPFF will not be responsible for subtitles. Films without subtitles will not be included in the Festival lineup.

Children/Youth Short Film
Films that are children/family friendly. Works eligible for this category MUST have a running time not to exceed 40 minutes and are expected to be presented at the Festival as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) or as otherwise required. If your film is invited to screen at LAAPFF, your film must have hardcoded subtitles in English. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide subtitles for their exhibition file and promotional screeners. LAAPFF will not be responsible for subtitles. Films without subtitles will not be included in the Festival lineup.

Please enter your film ONCE to the category most suitable for your film. If our programmers think your film may be suitable for another LAAPFF program category, it will be recommended for further consideration.

If you enter your film into the wrong category, you are responsible for any changes in fees. If the new category has a higher fee, you are responsible for paying the difference or risk ineligibility. We do not offer refunds.

***Please note changes to the following programs***

Episodics
Series of multiple videos in episodic form intended for digital platforms, including but not limited to mini-series, web series, serialized television, etc. Our Episodics program this year will be a curated online artist conversation that celebrates a select series. If you have an existing series that amplifies VC values and would like to share the series with LAAPFF audiences, please email festival@vcmedia.org with subject line "EPISODICS" and include your series link, synopsis, and credit list.

Emerging Media
Content including but not limited to virtual/augmented/mixed reality, site-specific installations, and cross-platform projects. If you have an existing project that amplifies VC values and would like LAAPFF audiences to engage with the work, please email festival@vcmedia.org with subject line "EMERGING MEDIA" and include your project link, synopsis, and credit list.

ENTRY DEADLINES & FEES (two tiers)
Signed entry form, screener, and entry fee must be filed via FilmFreeway.com; to be RECEIVED by one of these dates:
EARLY DEADLINE: Sunday November 30, 2022 at 11:59pm PST
FINAL DEADLINE: December 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST

FEATURES:
EARLY DEADLINE: Sunday November 30, 2022 at 11:59pm PST | $40 USD entry fee
FINAL DEADLINE: December 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST | $45 USD entry fee

SHORTS:
EARLY DEADLINE: Sunday November 30, 2022 at 11:59pm PST | $30 USD entry fee
FINAL DEADLINE: December 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST | $35 USD entry fee

INDIGENOUS STORYTELLING/ PACIFIC CINEWAVES FEATURES:
FINAL DEADLINE: December 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST | $25 USD entry fee

INDIGENOUS STORYTELLING/ PACIFIC CINEWAVES SHORTS:
FINAL DEADLINE: December 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST | $25 USD entry fee

CHILDREN/YOUTH SHORT FILMS
EARLY DEADLINE: Sunday November 30, 2022 at 11:59pm PST | $30 USD entry fee
FINAL DEADLINE: December 31, 2022 at 11:59 pm PST | $35 USD entry fee

The Festival does not provide waivers. Our entry fees are fair. 100% of earned income from entries will go towards programmers and screeners to remunerate those who put labor and effort to view films and build the festival. A waiver would be extractive of our efforts. We encourage all artists to share films by the early deadline.

RENTAL FEES
The Festival does not pay rental fees. We are deepening our practice of directing resources straight to the artists.

SHIPPING
Digital media of invited entries must be sent to the Festival pre-paid at a date to be determined prior to the Festival.

GRANT OF PERMISSION
Signatory of Film Producer grants Visual Communications permission to screen the aforementioned work at the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival if accepted, and warrants that all necessary steps have been taken to obtain the rights to use, exhibit, and display the work. Signatory also gives Visual Communications permission to solicit and use stills, excerpts, and other materials from such accepted work for promotional purposes.