CAPE CELEBRATES 35 YEARS.

For 35 years, CAPE has paved the way for advancing Asian and Pacific Islander (API) representation in film, television, and media. What began as a collective transformed into a grassroots movement to challenge invisibility has evolved into a nationally recognized organization building sustainable pathways for storytellers, executives, and creatives to thrive in the industry.

CAPE’s 35th anniversary arrives on the cusp of rapid industry transformation. As new technologies and shifting global priorities upend the entertainment industry year after year, CAPE remains committed to expanding opportunity, strengthening pathways to leadership, and building an equitable future where authentic API stories can take center stage.

Taking place once every 5 years (with the exception of the 30th due to COVID-15 pandemic), CAPE’s 35th Anniversary Gala not only celebrates our history, but also serves as a fundraiser to support sustaining our work as a media arts non-profit organization.

We’ve spent 35 years uplifting storytellers and now, CAPE is here to tell our story.

JINNY HOWE
Head of Netflix Series, UCANDecision Marker Award

Kalikolehua Hurley, Head of Cultural Trust at Walt Disney Animation Studios received the Changemaker Award, which recognizes the work of individuals who have dramatically changed the cultural narrative for Asians and Pacific Islanders. She has led cultural content advisement on projects including Moana, Moana 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, Wish, and the live-action Moana and Lilo & Stitch, among others. The award was presented by Moana actor and producer Auliʻi Cravalho.

Randall Park received the Renaissance Award, which honors multi-hyphenate individuals who have excelled across multiple fields in entertainment and embraced versatility in artistic expression. An Actor, Director, and Writer, Randall is a former CAPE New Writers Award Winner and is known for his work onscreen with Fresh off the Boat and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He co-wrote and starred in Always Be My Maybe opposite Ali Wong, and made his directorial feature debut with Shortcomings. The film’s star Sherry Cola presented the award to Park.

Ben Wang received the Rising Star Award, which recognizes ascending talent under 30 in our community. He previously starred in Disney+’s American Born Chinese and Karate Kid: Legends, and was seen in Francis Lawrence’s dystopian thriller, The Long Walk. Wang reunites with Lawrence in the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. CAPE Board Member and Producer Nina Yang Bongiovi presented the award to Wang.

Kitao Sakurai was honored with the Visionary Award for his boundary-pushing work in film and television. Best known for The Eric Andre Show, Sakurai has also directed and executive produced Beef, Dave, Twisted Metal, Bad Trip, and Butterfly. Callina Liang, Street Fighter’s “Chun-Li” presented the award to Sakurai.

Jinny Howe was honored with CAPE’s Decision Maker Award for her influence in shaping the television landscape and championing ambitious, culturally resonant storytelling for a global audience. Her work at Netflix includes critically acclaimed and fan-beloved series such as Beef, Bridgerton, MAID, The Night Agent, The Diplomat, XO, Kitty, and more. The Diplomat star Ali Ahn presented the award to Howe.

The Women of The Pitt were honored with the Radiance Award for the show’s achievement in nuanced and diverse representation of API women and non-binary talent, both on-screen and behind the scenes. Executive Producer/Writer Simran Baidwan accepted the award at the gala alongside Writer/Co-Producer Valerie Chu and Isa Briones, Kristin Villanueva, and Tal Anderson. The award was presented by actor, producer and comedian Lilly Singh.

Manny Jacinto was granted the Champion Award for shaping the future of entertainment by supporting and championing the next generation. Jacinto is an actor and producer most known for his work on The Good Place, Star Wars: The Acolyte, and Dreamworks’ Forgotten Island. He will appear in Love Language opposite Chloë Grace Moretz. Filmmaker Nisha Ganatra, who directed Manny in Freakier Friday, presented the award.

PRESENTERS

HOST COMMITTEE

The 2026 Host Committee for the CAPE 35th Anniversary Gala and Fundraiser includes Jenny Yang, Merle Dandridge, Kelly Hu, Janet Yang, Abhijay Prakash, Hasan Minhaj, Ji-young Yoo, Auli'i Cravalho, and Harry Shum Jr.

We would like to thank this year’s Host Committee for being part of the celebration and their support!

Additional appearances will include actor Saagar Shaikh (Deli Boys) as well as several CAPE program alum including writer/producer Oanh Ly (Sweet Tooth), writer Keiko Sugihara, executive Mohan Mandali (Head of Development & Production, JusticeRx) and director/writer Cami Kwan (Paper Daughter) as well as several of the CAPE Board Members and Advisors.

ASIF ALI
Actor, Writer, Producer

Asif Ali was seen in the Emmy-nominated Disney+ Marvel series WandaVision and in Olivia Wilde’s film Don’t Worry Darling alongside Harry Styles. He leads season 2 of the Hulu series Deli Boys, for which he was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Breakthrough Actor as well as winning The Indie Honors Award. Asif has a special on Netflix called Verified & Variety Top 10 Comedians to Watch recently named him one of their top comics to track. Follow him @alicomedy on Instagram!

CHANPAN | Featured Musial Artist

Chanpan began in Chinatown, NYC where Grace Dumdaw (they/them) and twin brothers Lance and Matthew Tran (both he/him) started busking to fund the recording of their first EP. The three quickly grabbed the attention of the fashion and music world alike and later released that initial EP and joined Haru Nemuri on tour in 2024. The band’s growth continued through 2025 with the release of their EP “endlessly,” sold-out headline shows in NYC and LA, several viral moments, K-Pop co-signs, and another tour with Post Animal. 2026 brought the release of Chanpan’s third EP “Autogratis,” their first official headline tour, festival dates, and more international shows, making their first stops in Asia.

Website | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok |Spotify | Apple Music | Soundcloud | Bandcamp

DEMONSLAYER | After Party DJ

Dan Nguyen (Demonslayer) is a Vietnamese American visual artist, creative director, curator, DJ and music producer. Born in Southern California, living and working between Los Angeles, CA and Saigon, Viet Nam. The artist broke new ground and helped develop Saigon’s modern street art and electronic music scene in the mid-2000’s. Dan’s worldwide insights and experiences have given him a key perspective in the business of creativity. Proof exists in a decade’s worth of results working with major global brands, including Hugo Boss, Asics, Hennesy, Mixcloud, Samsung, Vespa and more - he even had his own limited edition Sprite can.

Instagram | Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Linktree

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