TGIF FEATURE: View the winners of HBO's contest for emerging APA film makers.

BEFORE Asian American & Pacific American Heritage month winds up, take a few moments to view the winners of HBO Asian Pacific American Visionaries, a short-film competition dedicated to showcasing emerging APA directors and exploring the Asian Pacific American experience. 

The works of Dinh Thai, Tiffanie Hsu, and Jingyi Shao – who placed first, second and third, respectively  —  made their world premieres at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in April. The shorts cover a range of genres and subject matter including family, racism and addiction. Winning films will also premiere on HBO platforms.

Launched in August 2016, APA Visionaries was created to help further the dialogue about race, diversity and representation in Hollywood while offering unique and creative depictions of the Asian Pacific American community. The judges for the competition were comprised of HBO executives and industry experts, including representatives from Visual Communications (organizers of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival) and the Coalition of Asians in Entertainment (CAPE).

“HBO is proud to celebrate and support the movement towards a diverse media landscape where one’s differences can also be their greatest strength,” stated Jackie Gagne, VP Multicultural Marketing at HBO. 

“These three films and the visionaries behind them are excellent examples of the wealth of stories and talent waiting to be discovered in the Asian Pacific American community.”

About the winners:

• First place — Dinh Thai’s “Monday” is the story of a young drug dealer who finds himself struggling with the moral implications of his illicit profession.

• Second place — Tiffanie Hsu’s “Wonderland” explores the lonely and surreal world of a 12-year-old girl whose mother (played by Joan Chen) is a gambling addict.

• Third place — Jingyi Shao’s “Toenail” finds a career-obsessed yuppie having to care for his ailing father on the eve of his big promotion.