Action: group launched to represent NZ-Asian creatives

28 August 2018

Action: group launched to represent NZ-Asian creatives on screen and behind camera

A newly-formed organisation the Pan-Asian Screen Collective (PASC) is knocking on the doors of screen funding and production sector to support opportunities for the burgeoning community of local pan-Asian screen professionals and creatives.

Shuchi Kothari, film-maker and academic and executive member of PASC said, “We’re here to nurture the creative communities of pan-Asian screen practitioners. At an industry level, we need better career pathways for our members. The big picture goal is to ensure that pan-Asian faces, experiences and histories are reflected with integrity and honesty on and behind screens.”

In Auckland and throughout New Zealand, pan-Asian communities are growing. In Auckland more than one fifth of the population identified with at least one Asian ethnicity at the last census in 2013, and by 2038, Stats NZ projects that one in three Aucklanders will identify with at least one Asian heritage.

Despite this pan-Asian faces and stories remain rare on our screens. New Zealand On Air’s 2018 Diversity Report notes: ”There is a consistent under-representation is Asian creatives in all three roles surveyed: producer/director and writer/researcher.”

Of all feature films funded by the New Zealand Film Commission in the past 40 years, 1% had a pan Asian lead creative (director, writer or producer). In the 2018 financial year NZ On Air reports that only 3% of their funded projects featured a pan-Asian producer, only 5% featured a pan-Asian director and only 7% featured a pan-Asian writer.

Film-maker Roseanne Liang and executive member said,” PASC will support Asian actors, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers and editors to lead the creation, development and delivery of their stories on screen, actively contributing to the wider narratives of diversity in Aotearoa.”

The PASC executive have been heartened by the strong interest. Executive member producer Selina Joe said,” Initially we hoped to build to 100 members in our first six months, but within three weeks we already have 250 members. To me this is a sign that PASC has been formed at the right moment.”

Shuchi Kothari said,” Anecdotally we know there’s a generation of young performers and creatives coming through. PASC is here to give them a collective voice and offer advice and support in what can often be a tough journey.”

The three executive members of PASC were speaking at the public launch of PASC at an evening screening of the new film Rich, Crazy Asians, at Hoyts Sylvia Park. (Tuesday, 28 August, 2018).

The PASC launch event was supported by members of the cast of feature film Mulan, led by leads Liu Yifei and Yosan An. The film is directed by Niki Caro and is currently in production in Auckland.

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