“I say this with humility. I can’t think of anyone who deserves this award more than me.” That was Randall Park accepting the Renaissance Award at the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment 35th Anniversary Gala, which brought Hollywood figures to Downtown Los Angeles’ Vibiana on Saturday night to celebrate milestones in representation while confronting an increasingly volatile industry landscape.
The Bottom Line
- CAPE marked its first anniversary gala in a decade at Downtown Los Angeles’ Vibiana, an event presented by Lexus that raised over $350,000 for industry fellowships and studio resource programs.
- The organization honored prominent AAPI creators, executives, and actors—including Randall Park, Manny Jacinto, and the women behind the Emmy-winning series The Pitt—amid warnings from leadership over industry contraction, layoffs, and shrinking writers’ rooms.
- Comedian Asif Ali hosted the evening, which featured performances by Chanpan, Martell cognac bars, and a mahjong lounge before surpassing its fundraising goals with major contributions from networks like Netflix, STARZ, and Paramount.
Celebrating Thirty-Five Years at Vibiana
Founded in 1991 by publicist Fritz Friedman, television producer Wenda Fong, and film producer Chris Lee during a private meeting at the Mandarin in Beverly Hills, CAPE was built to combat decades of one-dimensional media stereotypes. On Saturday evening, the organization gathered in the converted 19th-century cathedral of Vibiana for its milestone 35th anniversary celebration. The milestone event marked the organization’s first major anniversary gathering in ten years, following scheduling disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The evening recognized a wide spectrum of talent across film, television, and digital media. Honorees included director Kitao Sakurai, Walt Disney Animation Studios Head of Cultural Trust Kalikolehua Hurley, actor Ben Wang, and UCAN Scripted Series Head Jinny Howe. Musical group Chanpan—featuring Grace Dumdaw and twin brothers Lance and Matthew Tran—performed midway through the ceremony, while guests later moved into a courtyard featuring a 360-degree outdoor bar hosted by Martell, mooncake pairings, and an intimate mahjong lounge pouring Martell Blue Swift.
Industry Realities and the Fight Against Industry Contraction
“When CAPE started, there seemed to be a ceiling on how much we could ask for,” Sugihara told the gala audience. “Then for a brief time in the past few years, it seemed that the ceiling had shattered, but it was short-lived. Unless we stay vigilant, that ceiling will descend upon us again.”
Host Asif Ali opened the evening with sharp humor, thanking donors for supporting the arts rather than “building data centers and Flock cameras and sending folks into space.” Ali pointed to recent AAPI successes across television and film, joking that “People are starting to be able to tell the difference between Asians, and that is progress.”
Honoring Achievements
The program highlighted standout creative achievements from the past year. Park accepted the Renaissance Award with characteristic dry wit before turning to the emotional core of his career. “The best stuff happens amongst our family and friends and our community,” Park said, thanking those who supported his journey from co-starring in Always Be My Maybe to making his feature directorial debut with Shortcomings.
The women of the Emmy-winning series The Pitt accepted the Radiance Award. Executive producer and writer Simran Baidwan was joined on stage by writer Valerie Chu, Lily Singh, Kristin Villanueva, Tal Anderson, and Isa Briones. Baidwan emphasized that the honor recognized the “hard work that comes from behind the camera to in front of the camera,” quoting director Gina Prince-Bythewood by noting that “Cultural specificity doesn’t yell your name, it brings you in.”
Manny Jacinto accepted the Champion honor to close the formal presentations. Jacinto reflected on a decade of work across projects ranging from Freakier Friday to the Star Wars series The Acolyte, praising CAPE for providing essential resources to upcoming talent who feel excluded from the traditional studio system.
| Award Category | Recipient | Notable Project / Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Renaissance Award | Randall Park | Always Be My Maybe, Shortcomings |
| Radiance Award | The Women of The Pitt | Simran Baidwan, Valerie Chu, Lily Singh, et al. |
| Champion Honor | Manny Jacinto | Freakier Friday, The Acolyte |
| Leadership & Creative Honors | Kitao Sakurai, Ben Wang, Kalikolehua Hurley, Jinny Howe | Film, Disney Animation, UCAN Scripted Series |
Surpassing Fundraising Goals at the Gala
To secure its future programming, CAPE launched an active fundraising campaign during the dinner. During a dedicated 10-to-15-minute fundraising break led by Ali and his Delhi Boys co-star Saagar Shaikh, the room rallied with contributions.
Major donations exceeding $20,000 poured in from studios including Netflix, STARZ, and Paramount. One donor contributed $35 under the joking identity of the newly merged Paramount-Warner Bros. company, Skydance, helping push the evening’s total past its immediate event target to finish at $357,146 raised toward the broader campaign goal.
