Sundance Sets Official AAPI House With Daniel Dae Kim, Gold House and The Asian American Foundation (Exclusive)
The Sundance Film Festival is getting an official AAPI house this year, thanks to Daniel Dae Kim, Gold House and The Asian American Foundation (TAAF).
Under a new banner known as Sunrise Collective, the actor’s production company, 3AD, and the two Asian American organizations will host three days of programming Jan. 20 through 22 at the restaurant Riverhorse on Main Street.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Film Independent Announces Inaugural Filmmakers for Imaginar Producers Residency (Exclusive)
Ludacris' Media Company Inks Licensing Deals to Boost Black-Owned Businesses
“When I last attended Sundance in 2020, I was moved and inspired by the work of our friends at MACRO, The Latinx House, Blackhouse and others, whose spaces served as gathering places for their communities,” Kim said in a statement. “It seemed only fitting that the AAPI community join them in celebrating our ever-increasing presence in media and culture. Together with the strength of Gold House and The Asian American Foundation, Sunrise Collective was created with the aim to honor our progress, as well as provide a space for fellowship and collaboration with the other esteemed creative communities at Sundance.”
Kim will engage in an intimate conversation with Steven Yeun about balancing a successful career with family and other personal priorities, while other events will include conversations and panels attended by industry figures including producer Nina Yang Bongiovi (whose Significant Productions has two films in this year’s festival), actors Randall Park, Ally Maki and Sherry Cola, and producer Apoorva Guru Charan and director Saim Sadiq of the drama Joyland, Pakistan’s submission for this season’s Oscar race. Details about the breakfasts, panels and all events can be found at Sunrise Collective’s website.
As the final day of Sunrise House falls on Lunar New Year, the collective will also host a party Friday night to ring in the Year of the Rabbit with a private dinner from restaurateur Simon Kim (of Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse COTE New York), followed by a party co-hosted by 88rising featuring DJ Hu Dat and a creative collaboration with artist James Jean.
On Saturday night, in a salute to solidarity and intersectional communities, Sunrise Collective will unite with Blackhouse, IllumiNative, The Latinx House, MACRO, MPAC and 1497 — which all are hosting houses or events at Sundance — for a toast and private dinner from Los Angeles Chinese-Peruvian restaurant Chifa 國偉. Linkin Park’s Joe Hahn will headline this Multicultural House Party, sponsored by Pop Culture Collaborative and CAA Amplify.
“Twenty years ago, Better Luck Tomorrow broke new ground for Asian Pacific communities that changed how we were seen, treated and who we would become. But we can’t power cultural shifts alone,” Gold House CEO and co-founder Bing Chen said in a statement. “That’s why we’re continuing to shatter box offices, build new platforms and forge stronger communities with our multicultural partners. From discussions to dinner to the first-ever House Toast alongside Blackhouse, IllumiNative, The Latinx House, MACRO, MPAC, 1497 and more, we know that our stories are richer, go further and are stronger together.”
In August, the Sundance Institute launched a fellowship and scholarship for AAPI storytellers in partnership with TAAF, which was founded by a group of Asian American corporate C-suite leaders in May 2021.
“We believe in the power of storytelling and arts to reclaim mainstream narratives and challenge harmful stereotypes about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,” TAAF CEO Norman Chen said in a statement. “Sunrise Collective will bring us closer to our goal of creating a stronger, inclusive community to cultivate new and established artists across different disciplines, identities and communities.”
Jan. 17, 9:13 a.m. Updated with quotes and more details about Sunrise Collective’s programming at the festival.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
