Filmmaker Frank Chi has chosen the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) to be the recipient of a $200,000 grant.
CAAM is a non-profit that produces and presents stories by and about Asian Americans. In a press release, the organization said it planned to use the funds to “strengthen its core programs and leadership capacities in its ongoing work to develop emerging filmmakers.”
Chi was one of six people to receive the Social Equity Award from the Bank of America. As a part of the award, he was allowed to choose an organization to receive a substantial grant.
The filmmaker is passionate about telling social impact stories. He is known for his work on projects like “Notorious RBG,” a film about former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; “Langston Hughes in Our Time,” a series that brought Langston Hughes’ poems to life; and “Letters from Camp,” a film detailing letters from Japanese American youth who were imprisoned during WWII.
Chi has gained attention most recently for his film 38 at the Garden, a film discussing the cultural impact of “Linsanity,” the name used to describe NBA player Jeremy Lin’s sensational run in 2012.
In a statement, Chi thanked Bank of America for the opportunity to support CAAM and discussed the importance of telling Asian American stories.
“When you’re an Asian American storyteller, America tells you two things and they’re in direct conflict with each other. The first is that the personal is the most powerful – so tell your personal story. The second is that you’re Asian in America, your story doesn’t matter – you’re invisible in this country,” Chi said. “
This contradiction stalks the work and choices of every Asian American storyteller I’ve ever met, and feels so impossible to so many. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity to tell the stories I’m passionate about on such a big scale.”
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